SHILLONG, June 27 - Meghalaya Chief Secretary Y Tsering has been summoned by the National Commission for Minorities for a hearing on the Punjabi Lane issue that rocked the State last month, in New Delhi on July 12.
The Commission has said that no action should be taken with regard to relocation of the residents of the Punjabi Lane in Shillong. �No further action on relocation will be carried out till the appearance of the Chief Secretary,� it said.
The National Commission for Minorities had rush one of its members to Shillong to take stock of the situation after violence broke out in the State capital in May. In the aftermath of the violence, there has been a demand from local quarters here to relocate the residents of the Punjabi Lane area.
The Commission member had met several State Government officials and the residents of the area. He later submitted a report to the Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities.
Based on the report, the Commission has decided to ask the Union Home Ministry to continue deployment of additional forces in the disturbed area till the return of normalcy.
The Commission has also taken note of the terms of reference of the high-level committee formed to relocate the residents of Punjabi Lane. It has therefore decided to hold a hearing on July 12.
Meanwhile, the Shillong Municipal Board is conducting a survey to ascertain the number of its employees residing in the Punjabi Lane area. For the second day, women residents of the area held a demonstration in the area.
On the other hand, a three-member delegation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is also here to investigate whether there has been any human rights violation in the area. The NHRC team is headed by Rajeev Singh Lalbahar who said that they would stay in Shillong till Friday and record statements to examine if there has been any human rights violation. A report will subsequently be submitted to the NHRC.
The NHRC team today examined witnesses such as the executive magistrates, police and CRPF personnel deputed to control the situation, doctors who treated the injured and others.
