The State government has decided not to relocate the residents of Sweeper Colony at Them Ïew Mawlong to the site near TB Hospital at Upper Mawprem.
Addressing the political meeting of NPP at Mawprem here today, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong informed said that the government did not want to go against the wishes of the people on the issue.
He also said that headmen and social organisations from Mawprem and adjoining areas have met him in the recent past and requested the government not to shift the residents of Sweeper Colony to Upper Mawprem.
“Let me inform you today that we have taken a decision that relocation will not take place to this side (Upper Mawprem). This is the decision that the government has taken,” Tynsong said.
“Relocation has to take place. The residents of the colony are finding it difficult to stay at the present site which is worse than a slum,” Tynsong said, although he did not disclose the new site where they would be shifted.
Meanwhile, the Urban Affairs Department will tomorrow submit the new blueprint to the High Level Committee regarding the new site for shifting of the colony residents. The High Level Committee is headed by Tynsong.
The State government had earlier prepared a blueprint for allotment of three acres of land near the TB Hospital at Upper Mawprem here for construction of multi-storied housing flats to accommodate the 342 families from Sweeper Colony.
However, the proposal has attracted strong objections from many quarters who said that shifting of the Sweeper Colony residents to the area was not feasible as the area is already congested.
Recently, the State government told the Meghalaya High Court that the details on the changed blueprint are being worked out. The High Court has listed the matter for hearing on September 16.
