The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has voiced its opposition to the proposal to relocate the residents of the Harijan Colony to nearby defence land, arguing that it undermines the very purpose of relocation.
Last week Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong announced that the Meghalaya government is awaiting a response from the Ministry of Defence regarding the potential allocation of vacant defence land at Lum Survey in Shillong for relocating residents of Harijan Colony. The state government had proposed moving the residents to a Shillong Municipal Board property on Bishop Cotton Road but the Harijan Panchayat Committee had proposed Lum Survey as an alternative near their current residence.
KHNAM working president Thomas Passah said today that “The proposed site near the Ministry of Defence land is just behind the current location, which means there is no real relocation.”
Reflecting on past media reports about the Lum Survey area – defence land that has a number of squatters occupying shacks on – Passah noted, “This area has been associated with many anti-social activities, including drug-related issues. From our perspective, relocating them there will not achieve the intended purpose.”
“Our stance is clear: these are government employees, and they should be moved to government quarters right from the start,” he added.