CEM proposes joint inspection

THEM IEW MAWLONG ISSUE

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, June 11: The Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Pynshngain N Syiem on Monday proposed the need for a joint inspection of the Sweeper’s Lane at Them Iew Mawlong.

Syiem said that the parties to be involved in the joint inspection would be the Shillong Municipal Board, Directorate of Land Records and Survey and the Hima Mylliem.

“We favoured for carrying out a joint inspection of the land which housed the residents in the colony at Them Iew Mawlong,” the CEM said.

This has been done to know of the present status of the land at sweeper’s lane.

Syiem informed that the Acting Syiem of Hima Mylliem, Ricky Nelson Syiem has agreed to write to the Directorate of Land Survey and Records on the need to have the joint inspection.

The CEM also informed that the KHADC has endorsed the decision of the High Level Committee (HLC) constituted by the State Government for the detailed land survey of the sweeper’s lane.

It may be mentioned that last week, the HLC had asked the Directorate of Land Records and Survey to conduct the detailed land survey and gave them 10 days time to complete it.

According to Syiem, the Directorate of Land Survey and Records will conduct a fresh survey of plot A which is around 21,837 square feet and also of plot B which comes to around 11,577 square feet.

“The joint inspection can be carried out simultaneously with the detailed survey of the land in question,” he said.

On the issue of four land pattas issued by the Hima Mylliem at the Sweeper’s Colony, he said that the Council would wait for the fresh survey of the land before deliberating on them.

Besides the four land pattas, 218 invididuals from the Sweeper’s Colony have sought for land pattas.

The KHADC chief however pointed out that the Hima Mylliem is yet to take any decision on them.

When asked about the litigation pending in the Court, he said that the Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court in 2010 had remanded the case to the Syiem of Mylliem to take a fresh decision after hearing the petitioner (Harijans).

“The Hima Mylliem is yet to proceed ahead with the Court’s directive,” he added.

The Hima Mylliem had given the land pattas for construction of the Gurudwara, Guru Nanak School, Shiv Mandir and Durga Mandir situated at that place. The land pattas were given in 2009. Following opposition from several NGOs, it was decided to withdraw the pattas in 2010.

After the pattas were withdrawn the residents living in the Sweeper’s Colony then approached the Court, which then directed the Hima to conduct a hearing and then decide whether to withdraw the land patta.

“In 2011, the Hima issued the order to cancel the land pattas. Till now the Hima has not called the hearing from the residents living there,” the Acting Syiem of Hima Mylliem Ricky Nelson Syiem said.

The land pattas were issued when Latho Manik Syiem was the Syiem of Mylliem.

“Subsequently, the Court directed the Hima to conduct the hearing so that the grievances of the Sikh population can be recorded and a decision can then be arrived at,” stated the Acting Syiem of Mylliem.