The Meghalaya government announced on Wednesday that the 342 families of the Harijan colony will be relocated to the existing Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) Quarters rather than the original plan of relocating them to an area near TB Hospital, Mawbah Shillong.
Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong informed that after a meeting with the minister in charge of Urban Affairs, Sniawbhalang Dhar, and the District Administration, the government has finalized the area for the relocation identified by the Meghalaya Urban Affairs Department (MUDA) for the relocating of the families from the Harijan colony from Thew Iewmawlong to the existing SMB quarters which is opposite the quarter of the Leader of the Opposition at Bishop cotton road, Shillong.
“The Urban Affairs Department has brought all the details and the government has finalized that will take place in the same existing place (which at present is the temporary office of the SMB)….roughly the Urban Affairs dept has already shown all the details of the building which need to be constructed in the area, as per the technical report given by the Urban affairs department it is possible to accommodate all the 342 families in the same place itself”, said Dy CM Tynsong.
Tynsong informed that he has instructed the Urban Affairs department and the SMB to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR). Then after, the department submits the DPR the government will hold a meeting with the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) and present them with the proposal. He has now advised the department to come up with the DPR for this unit which can accommodate all the families in the same area itself.
“As the existing quarters are not in a good condition, there is a need for reconstruction. We will have not less than twelve blocks which will include 30-40 flats in the area and each unit will be allotted to the 342 families”, he added.
The total area in the SMB quarters is rough 2 to 2.5 acres, informed Dy CM.
On asked, Dy CM said if the Harijan families are not happy with the relocation in the area, the government will meet them, and ultimately the last say is up to them but from the government side, it has been finalized that the relocation will take place in the existing SMB quarters.