SHILLONG : The Meghalaya government will hold an inter-departmental meeting in the last week of August to discuss the long-pending relocation of Harijan Colony from Them Iew Mawlong, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar announced on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Dhar said he has directed officials to obtain updated reports from all concerned departments before the meeting to ensure that every stakeholder is prepared for detailed discussions.
“I have already asked my officers to get updated reports from all departments. We will deliberate on this in the last part of August,” he said.
According to Dhar, the first round of discussions will be held exclusively among government departments. Representatives of the Harijan Colony and other stakeholders will be invited only after the initial inter-departmental deliberations are completed.
“The meeting will be between departments first, then we will call people from their side,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government is collecting reports from all relevant departments, the Harijan Colony residents, and the Defence authorities, which own the land where the colony is situated.
“We need to collect all the details so everyone is ready with everything before the meeting,” Dhar added.
Responding to concerns over the prolonged delay in resolving the issue, Dhar acknowledged that the matter has remained pending for many years but reiterated the government’s commitment to finding a solution.
“Of course it is long pending and not easy, but we are trying our best to solve it,” he said.
The relocation of Harijan Colony at Them Iew Mawlong has remained one of Meghalaya’s most sensitive and longstanding issues, with successive governments attempting to find a mutually acceptable resolution.