Meghalaya High Court orders state government to resolve Harijan Colony issue by April

The Meghalaya High Court has directed the state government to find a resolution to the long-standing Harijan Colony issue by the end of April. The top court has ordered the relocation of 342 families from Them Lew Mawlong in Shillong, giving the state government a deadline to resolve the matter.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh issued the order on March 17, asking the parties to resolve the issue by April. The court hopes that the relocation, if any, can take place within the next two or three months, and the matter can be given a final closure.

The Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) has until April 10 to respond to the proposal for moving the families to the existing Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) land. The government had previously rejected the HPC's proposal to set aside 200 square meters of land for each of the 342 families in the European ward and pay for the construction of their homes.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 24, where the progress in resolving the issue is expected to be reviewed. The court's directive comes as a welcome relief to the residents of Harijan Colony, who have been awaiting a resolution to their problem for a long time.