Take fight against MUDA to court: NCP

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, FEB 16: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday pressurised KHADC to take up immediately before the court against the alleged encroachment of MUDA in schedule areas.

The party felt the district council has the power to frame laws and to implement its own building byelaws as per the Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973.

A delegation led by NCP South Shillong legislator Sanbor Shullai and Laban MDC Ricky Shullai met the KHADC chief executive member PN Syiem to remind him of the party’s demand on Thursday.

The demand was made after the Meghalaya High Court had earlier last year passed a ruling upholding the building byelaws of the Shillong Cantonment Board, which challenge the state government’s notification to implement the MUDA byelaws in the entire state.

“The cantonment area of Shillong is to be governed by the regulations framed by the SCB under the cantonment Act,  2016 and any attempt to apply the Meghalaya Building Byelaws, 2011 would result in unacceptable overlapping of the laws on the same subject in the area in question,” the order had stated.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, NCP chief Sanbor Shullai said, “We have reiterated our demand that the KHADC should also challenge the extension of the MUDA bye-laws in areas under its jurisdiction.”

He said KHADC had already frames and passed i’s own building byelaws.

On the state government’s decision to de-notify the council building bye-laws, Shullai said that this should also be challenge before the High Court. “On what authority the state government is denotified only the bye-laws of the district council when it failed to de-notify the SCB building bye-laws,” he questioned.

He informed that KHADC chief has informed that he is still in the process of consulting legal experts.

“He (Syiem) also assured us that a special meeting with his legal department on how to strengthen the claims of the council will be convened today evening while accepting our suggestions,” Shullai said.

He said that district council is also preparing to file affidavits with regards to the petition filed by one Tirot Sing.

The High Court based on Sing’s petition had stayed the notification of the   state government to keep in abeyance the operation of the MUDA building byelaws outside municipal areas.

Earlier, KHADC had threatened to file a fresh petition on the matter to challenge the government decision of de-notifying the KHADC’s building byelaws passed in 2015.

Reacting to a query, Shullai said that the CEM had maintained that a fresh petition will also be filed if necessary.

He felt  there is a need to pursue the matter with the court to ensure that the problems faced by the people due to MUDA encroachment is addressed at the earliest.

He said his party is also submitting all relevant documents to the KHADC to support the case.