Govt to relocate Sweepers’ Colony soon

“Certain people are trying to paint (the issue) in a different manner which is not correct,” Sangma told reporters at the sidelines of a function.

Claiming that relocation of the Sweepers’ Colony is not an issue at all, the Chief Minister said, “I would request the people who are being misguided in this entire thing, they should speak to the other families and other Sikh people who are here in Shillong, they will tell you there is no issue at all.”

According to him, the residents in the area actually belonged to mixed communities.

“(However), it just so happened that a large section of the people who were working in the municipal board happened to be from the Sikh community. It just so happened that some of the family members and other individuals who came in and settled later on were from the Sikh community, that’s why it is being painted in this manner.

But there are mixed communities out there. There are other people involved in it and the other Sikhs community within Shillong, you know has not been affected at all and it is in fact a positive environment which we have and there is no issue at all in this, but certain people may (continue) to try to paint in different manner which is not correct.”

This also came after the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC), which is opposing the government’s move to relocate the residents from Them Iew Mawlong, had maintained that it will fight back to save their homes.

“We are committed to holding on till our last breath and Sikh history bears testimony to our determination,” the HPC had stated in a recent statement issued to the media.

The Chief Minister further reiterated that the state government will resolve the issue in a phase manner.

He said after the government had taken possession of the land at Them Iew Mawlong, the second step would be to shift the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) office from the official quarters of the board to the old MBDA office.

“Once that happens, the employees of the board who are staying in the Sweepers’ Colony will accordingly be shifted to those quarters,” he added.

When asked, Sangma said close to 80-90 families are working in the government sector as he assured, “There is (enough) space for them. Therefore, they will all be shifted in different areas depending on the departments they work in.”

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that the third phase would be for the government to talk with the other people (who are not government employees) and try to find an amicable solution.

By Our Reporter