SHILLONG, Meghalaya—Latest developments reveal that the Shillong Municipal Board has served notices to the Sikh residents of the Punjabi lane area to produce documents proving their legal right over the respective properties, they own in concerned area. It is learnt that these notices have been served on the directions of a high-level committee of the state government.
It may be recalled here that violent clashes had erupted between the people of the local Khasi community and the Sikhs in May last year, following which the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were clamped in this area, which are in place till date.
Sharing the development with media, an SMB official informed that most of the residents of the Punjabi lane area have received these notices in person. “We have pasted the notices on the front doors of the houses which were locked,” he added while claiming that these documents will be helpful for preparing both long- term and short-term policies by the government in resolving the issue at Punjabi Lane.
Mr. SB Sohliya, the chief executive of Shillong Municipal Board, informed that the concerned property owners have been requested to furnish information about the period of their stay and ownership along with proofs by July 3. He further informed that the SMB will submit a report to the High Level Committee (HLC) after July 3. “As per the inventory survey conducted by the SMB last year, there are over 300 households in Punjabi Lane,” he added.
“The settlers had refused to cooperate with the authorities during the survey conducted last year and this is their second and the last opportunity”, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who is the head of the HLC, had said earlier this month.
