'MUDA need to issue fresh notification on building bye laws'

From a correspondent

Shillong, March 20: Meghalaya Urban Affairs Minister Hamletson Dohling, on Tuesday,  informed the House that the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has to issue fresh notification for informing public that the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws will be applicable for the Shillong Master Plan area after the High Court judgment on high rise buildings.

Dohling was replying during a call attention motion brought by Congress MLA from Mawlai Process T Sawkmie on a report ‘opposition to extension of MUDA authority reiterated’ that appeared in The Sentinel.

Apart from the Shillong Municipal Board area, the master plan area of Shillong includes census towns and neighbouring villages of Shillong covering 174 sq.kms.

Dohling informed the House that after this notification a series of protest from different stakeholders took place, and after a meeting with the State government, the MUDA was compelled to issue the notification for keeping the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws in abeyance in the rural components of Shillong. “However, the High Court has found this inconsistent in a PIL filed by Tirot Singh Syiemlieh and have stayed the notification of MUDA. The implication of this is that the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws is now operatiol in the entire master plan area of Shillong covering 174 sq kms,” the Urban Affairs Minister said.

Dohling also said that a joint meeting was held on December 14 last year among the then State government led by Dr Mukul Sangma, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the members of Synjuk Ki Nongsynshar Shnong Ka Bri U Hynniewtrep (SKNSKBH).

The outcome of this particular meeting was that the KHADC should notify the Town Committees in the State and furnish the list to the Urban Affairs Department.

According to the understanding reached in that meeting, the Urban Affairs Department on receiving the list shall appoint the Town Committees as Local Authority under sub-section 1 under section 2 of the Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973 for the purpose of implementing the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws outside Municipal Areas.

The meeting also decided that the MUDA shall be the authority to implement Building Bye Laws only in municipal areas of the State.

The meeting even decided that the State government shall file a petition in the High Court as the subject is already before this Court.

Dohling also informed the House that this government will again convene a meeting with the KHADC and SKNSKBH to work out and find a long term solution on the issue.”