Meghalaya starts process to take over Shillong's Punjabi Lane

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 7

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma today said the process had been initiated to transfer ownership of the land of Shillong’s Harijan Colony (Punjabi Lane) to the state’s Urban Affairs Department.

The CM was briefing the media in Shillong after presiding over a Cabinet meeting where the report submitted by a committee regarding the relocation of Dalit Sikhs of Harijan Colony was discussed.

Sangma said the report submitted to him on Monday by the panel headed by Deputy CM Prestone Tynsong made three recommendations, including changing the ownership of the land on which the Harijan Colony was situated.

An agreement by the Urban Affairs Department, the Shillong Municipal Board and the traditional Khasi tribal chief (Syiem) of the area would be signed to transfer land ownership to the Urban Affairs Department, he said. The process would be completed over the next one week, he added.

The next step, he said, would be to shift the municipal office located in the area and order the municipal employees (Dalit Sikhs who work as sweepers) living in Harijan Colony to move to the new location where residences would be provided to them.

The Urban Affairs Department would then take up the cases of people who live in the colony without being employees of the municipality.

Harijan Panchayat Committee chief Gurjit Singh said attempts were made to evict Sikh residents of Harijan Colony by roping in the local tribal chieftain in 1954 too. 

Transfer of ownership

• The ownership of Shillong’s Harijan Colony land will be transferred to the state’s Urban Affairs Department
• The process would be completed in the next one week, said Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma