Meghalaya: Relocation of Harijan Colony Families in Shillong Delayed Due to Military Guidelines

SHILLONG: The relocation of 342 families from Harijan Colony in Shillong's Them Iew Mawlong is facing a delay due to military rules. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the plan to use defense land for the relocation is being held up because of strict military guidelines.

The Meghalaya government had earlier contacted the Union Defence Ministry about land near the petrol pump at Iewmawlong. Although the proposal wasn't approved, the ministry shared the rules and requirements for using defense land.

Sangma expressed concerns that the Army’s rules are delaying the relocation process. Despite these challenges, the state government is committed to finding a solution.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who heads the committee on the relocation, mentioned that the state has created a plan to move the residents while meeting their needs. The government hopes to find a solution soon.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement, which widely opposed the relocation of the Harijan Colony dwellers proposed by the Meghalaya government to Defence land adjacent to their present settlement at Them Iew Mawlong, opined that such a plan tended to defeat the basic purpose behind the relocation exercise.

Thomas Passah, the acting president of KHNAM, said that the suggested relocation site was too close to the existing settlement. "The Ministry of Defence land that the government proposed to use was just behind the present location, which implied there was no meaning of relocation from point A to B, which were very near to each other," said Passah.

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