Shillong, Jul 13: Residents of Shillong Cantonment are set to come under formal building by-laws after a wait of 37 years, with the Ministry of Defence publishing the draft rules in a Gazette notification dated July 3.
Cabinet minister Sanbor Shullai said the long delay was due to a 1989 notification by the then Congress government that fixed the Floor Space Index (FSI) at a relatively low 0.5.
The draft building by-laws have now been made public and the Ministry of Defence has invited objections and suggestions within 30 days.
To facilitate public input, Shullai said he will convene a meeting with the lease holders association before August 3 so that suggestions can be forwarded to the ministry.
“After the suggestions made by the residents, it shall be incorporated in the draft building by-laws and shall duly be notified by the Ministry of Defence,” he said.
Shullai credited the Shillong Cantonment Board and state officials for sustained efforts to clear the bottlenecks. He thanked SCB President Rajesh Verma, former CEO Ayush Maurya, nominated ward member Bipen Pradhan, and engineers from the Cantonment Board and MUDA.
