There seems little prospect that the defence land at Lum Survey will work as a new home for the residents of Sweeper’s Colony in Them Ïewmawlong, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said today.
It was only last week that Deputy CM Prestone Tynsong said that the government is waiting on a response from the central government on the proposal of the Sikh community to use the empty land next to their current homes for their relocation, rather than moving to Bishop Cotton Road, which had been the state government’s suggestion.
However, today Sangma appeared to pour cold water on the idea, saying that regulations concerning the construction of buildings on defence land would be too restrictive to make the relocation work.
After reviewing the regulations, the government realised that the available land would be insufficient for the relocation. “The plot may be too small to be practical, given the restrictions imposed by national laws,” Sangma explained. While discussions continue, he admitted that bypassing these constraints seems unlikely. “Negotiations are ongoing, and we are exploring all options to reach a logical conclusion,” he said.
Sangma also mentioned that the Defence Ministry had responded to the state’s request for land but highlighted strict guidelines on construction near military installations. These restrictions have made the process more challenging.
He clarified that using defence land was not part of the original relocation plan. “We later identified this piece of unused land and decided to request it from the army. However, it is not their responsibility to provide it,” Sangma said.
