The United Democratic Party (UDP) said that the question of depriving the place of stay for settlers at Them ïew Mawlong does not arise, as the government wanted to provide them better shelters.
“If the government is ready to provide a better place, it is not a question of depriving their rights or their place of stay,” UDP leader and former Meghalaya deputy chief minister Bindo M. Lanong said on Friday.
Also read: MHA summons Meghalaya govt over Them ïew Mawlong settlers’ issue
He pointed out that the place at Them ïew Mawlong is over-congested and the residents would be provided better place and better environment which is good for the residents and for everybody.
The Meghalaya government has formed a high-level committee to come up with recommendationss to solve the long pending problem at Them ïew Mawlong.
Also read: HNLC warns Meghalaya govt over illegal settlers at Them Ïew Mawlong
The UDP is one of the partners of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.
It may be mentioned that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which represents the Sikh community, has recently requested the Meghalaya government not to relocate the Sikh settlers from Bara Bazar (Them ïew Mawlong) in Shillong.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in a letter issued on June 12, 2019, stated that the Sikh families, who are residents in the Bara Bazar area of Shillong have been residing there for more than 150 years.