Shillong, November 11: The alleged encroachers who were evicted from the lands where the state government proposes to set up the New Shillong Township (NST) converged to the traffic point near the Meghalaya secretariat building on Monday and turned it into a “protest square” to protest against the callous attitude of the government against them.
The affected people with children in tow backed by social and political activists castigated the government for evicting the settlers from Umsawli and Mawlong-Mawtari areas on Friday afternoon. The gathering also condemned the arrest of Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) president Agnes Kharshiing.
However, the police and district administration officials played soft on the protestors as they refrained from using any force to eject them from the area though Section 144 Cr.PC. was enforced in the area.
Affected villagers ranted against the government for evicting them out of the land and wanted an answer from the government as to where they should settle now. Social activist Angela Rangad said the government grabbing land illegally.
Stating that there was no equality before the law, Rangad said the police had failed to act on several of the cases filed against government functionaries and political leaders but were quick in using the arms of the law against poor and common people.
Terming the New Shillong Township as a fraudulent project, Rangad said the people who have been evicted were living in for several years in those lands and rights have to be respected. She said, “They cannot be driven out of their land.”
But Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) said the people who were evicted were “encroachers”.
It may be mentioned that seven kutcha huts at the plot allocated to North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO), one semi-puca shed at the plot allocated to the state Information Technology (IT) department, and one kutcha shed opposite to the IIM plot of urban affairs were evicted on Fridayafternoon.
The MUDA has so far acquired 370.26 hectares of land to develop the New Shillong Township in areas located in and around Mawdiangdiang, about 20 km from here. Out of this, 353.42 hectares have been allotted to different entities.- By Our Reporter
It may be mentioned that seven kutcha huts at the plot allocated to North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO),
They are not kutcha huts. mostly they are puca house . m