Adelbert Nongrum rejects HPC's plea to government
A Reporter
SHILLONG: A few days after the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC), Shillong had urged the state government to dissolve the High Level Committee (HLC) constituted by the government of Meghalaya, KHNAM MLA from North Shillong constituency Adelbert Nongrum on Sunday stated that this request cannot be accepted by the government.
Speaking to The Sentinel, Nongrum said, "The Panjabi residing at Them Iew Mawlong should respect the indigenous community of the state because the intension of the state government is not to chase them out of the state but to relocate them to another location."
He also said that the relocation of Harijan residing at Them Iew Mawlong will also benefit the local community especially concerning cleanliness of the area, decongestion of traffic beside others.
"It is necessary for the residents of that area to respect the indigenous people of the state and there is a need for the state government to take a decision on this issue at the earliest without any more delays because if this issue continues to be delayed it will eventually pose more problems," Nongrum said.
The KHNAM leader also said that the people do not want anymore assurances or suggestion however the public wants a quick decision from the High Level Committee on this issue at the earliest.
"Even if I'm not a member of the High Level Committee I will continue to follow this issue because concerning this there has not been any causality of assault on the people residing at Them Iew Mawlong however the only one who was injured during the incident was the local people," he said.
The MLA also condemned the interference from various organizations coming from outside the state of Meghalaya which according to him might even create a sense of communal difference.
Nongrum also posed a question to the state government under the leadership of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma as to why the government has not include him being a local MLA of the affected area in the HLC as many of the members in the committee are MLAs from different constituency.
"What is the reason behind the decision of the government to sideline the local MLA of the constituency to be part of the committee as I feel there is a need for my views and suggestions," he said.