A final solution to the long drawn legal battle over the move to shift the residents of Sweepers’ Colony at Them Ïew Mawlong is expected soon.
The Harijan Panchayat Committee has accepted the blueprint prepared by the State government on the proposal to relocate the 342 families of the colony to the existing land of the Shillong Municipal Board at Bivar Road here.
This was revealed during the hearing of the writ appeal filed by the Harijan Panchayat Committee before the division bench of the Meghalaya High Court today.
During the hearing, Advocate General Amit Kumar told the High Court that R Khatri, the lawyer for the Harijan Panchayat Committee has agreed, in principle, to the blueprint prepared by the government but has made some suggestions for modification in certain areas.
“Since the State is looking at the suggestions for modification, let the matter come up in three weeks hence. It is hoped that the parties will now resolve the long pending issue and give a quietus to these matters,” the High Court said while listing the matter for hearing on July 3.
It may be mentioned that the State government had come up with a blueprint to accommodate all the 342 families of the Sweepers’ Colony in dwelling units that will be created in place of the existing SMB quarters on around 2.5 acres of land.
Earlier, the government had rejected the proposal by Harijan Panchayat Committee on April 25, 2022 that 200 square meters of land be provided to each of the 342 families within the European Ward besides bearing the cost of construction of their homes.
In October 2021, the State government took possession of the land measuring 12,444.13 square metres at Sweepers’ Colony after paying Rs 2 crore to the Hima Mylliem as a one-time payment.
This comes after signing of a tripartite lease deed between the government of Meghalaya, the Syiem of Hima Mylliem and Shillong Municipal Board on March 31, 2021.
The State government said that beautification of the area will be done once the residents of the colony are shifted to a new site.
