By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, MAR 6: United Democratic Party (UDP) leader HS Shylla today threatened to petition the Governor urging him to recommend imposition of “President’s Rule” in the state if the government fails to restrict the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) from extending its building byelaws to areas under the autonomous district council.
Speaking to reporters, Shylla, who also an MDC representing Nongkrem constituency, said the MUDA could no longer “encroach” in the scheduled areas following the recent judgment passed by the Meghalaya High Court on the Public interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one Tirot Sing.
“We will have to call upon the people and submit a petition to the Governor for him to recommend to the Centre to impose President’s Rule in the state if any department concerned is still insisting on MUDA’s occupancy certificate for availing basic amenities like water and electricity connection to newly constructed houses,” Shylla said.
Urging the people to inform if there are such instances, he said that they would also gherao such offices. Yesterday, Shylla had also sent an open letter to chief minister Mukul Sangma appealing to him to stop MUDA from extending its building byelaws.
Shylla pointed out that in the recent high court ruling, the PIL was disposed of after the MUDA had withdrawn the public notice issued on November 5, 2015 to keep in abeyance the operation of the Meghalaya Building Byelaws, 2011 in scheduled areas.
He added that similarly the press release issued by MUDA on August 2015 that the building byelaws will be operationalized in all areas under Shillong Master Plan is also no longer effective as the public notice was stayed earlier by the Court in December last year was based on the PIL.
“Therefore, all litigations on the matter have come to an end after the MUDA decided to withdraw the public notice which came up after there was a huge protest against the press release,” he said.
In view of this, the UDP MDC alleged that there is no other law to support the MUDA except the Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973.
According to him, Section 1 (2) of the 1973 Act clearly stated that – “it (byelaws) shall extend to the whole of Meghalaya excluding the Autonomous District.”
The former KHADC chief also lamented on the delay of the present KHADC executive committee to write to the state government on this issue.
To a query, he said that the move of the KHADC chief PN Syiem to file a fresh petition on the matter was foolish when the basic issue on which the PIL was filed has been withdrawn.
Referring to the High Court judgment that the issues pertaining to other matters can be taken up at an appropriate forum, Shylla said this means that the state government and the KHADC should sit and resolve together the hardship of the people.
“However, the problem now is that chief minister and the chief executive member are not in good terms,” he said.
Meanwhile, the UDP MDC also reiterated the need for both the state government and district council to appoint competent legal experts.
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