SHILLONG, June 6 - Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today reiterated that the Government-constituted high-level committee is committed to finding a permanent solution to the issue of relocating Sikh residents from their present location here.
Tynsong heads the committee, which also has other Cabinet ministers and the chief of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) as members. �We really mean business to find a permanent solution to this long-pending issue. We will try to achieve what the Government in the past has not achieved,� Tynsong said after holding the first meeting of the committee here.
The Deputy Chief Minister stated that various departments have been asked to submit documents in their possession on the status of the case within a week�s time. Some of the departments that were asked to submit documents include the Urban Affairs and Law departments and the KHADC.
�The committee will study the various documents to have a clear understanding of the issue. We will then recommend the Government, steps to be taken to address the grievances of all concerned,� Tynsong said.
When asked about the total area of the Punjabi lane, the Deputy Chief Minister said that it is roughly about 9,800 square metres. �We will know the exact figure after the detailed survey by the Shillong Municipal Board,� he said.
Tynsong said the Government�s move to relocate the Sikh population is in the best interest of all concerned. �Our intention is not to deprive the Sikh community of their rights. We do not want the same problem to crop up again in the near future,� he maintained.
Meanwhile, member of the National Commission for Minorities, Manjit Singh Rai today held a high-level meeting with top officials of the Meghalaya Government. He later expressed satisfaction over the present law-and-order situation in the State capital.
Rai was sent by the Chairperson of the National Minorities Commission to assess the law-and-order situation in the aftermath of the disturbance here.
The meeting was held among Rai, Chief Secretary YS Tsering, State DGP SB Singh and other senior officials. The DGP told Rai that senior officials were constantly monitoring the situation at the ground level along with magistrates.
Singh assured that life and property of the minorities were safe. �The situation is tense but under control and tomorrow I will submit my report to the Chairperson of the National Minorities Commission,� Rai said.
After the meeting with the State officials, Rai visited the Punjabi lane and talked to the residents there.
