The state government today sought to cool tempers that were stoked in certain quarters by the demands made by the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) over the relocation of the residents of Them Ïewmawlong.
Pressure groups and other entities, including political parties, have deemed the demands of the HPC as excessive. The residents want the government to provide them with land in the European Ward and foot the cost of construction for their new houses, which they would own the title to.
Speaking to the press, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that he has already instructed the Urban Affairs Department to speed up the process of preparing a blueprint for the relocation of the 342 families resident in Them Ïewmawlong.
“Once that is done, it will be communicated to the HPC by calling them for another meeting,” Tynsong said.
Asked if the conditions made by HPC were reasonable, Tynsong said that anyone is free to make demands.
“You can ask for heaven also, there is no harm in that,” he quipped. “When you want you can demand anything but, ultimately, let us be realistic. I can’t say anything on this until we prepare the blueprint and communicate it to them.”
He added that the government will work diligently to effect a permanent solution to the issue, which has been kept pending ever since the 2018 riots where Them Ïewmawlong was the focus.
