SHILLONG, Sept 29: The state government has decided to handover the blueprint – for construction of multi-storey flats at the existing official quarters of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) for relocation of the 342 families – to the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) on Friday.

The decision was taken after the state government had outrightly rejected the April 25-proposal of the HPC that 200 square meters of land be provided to each of the 342 families within the European ward besides bearing the cost of construction of their homes.

After chairing a meeting with the HPC delegation on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters that the delegation was informed about the government’s decision to relocate the 342 families from Them Iew Mawlong to the existing official quarters of the SMB at the Bishop Cotton road.

He said a presentation of the blueprint indicating the detailed drawings and designs of the proposed buildings to be constructed for accommodating all the families was also presented before the delegation during the meeting.

“Accordingly, tomorrow we have decided to handover this blueprint to the HPC, which has assured to immediately sit down among themselves and come back to the government with their decision after the Puja holiday,” Tynsong said.

When asked, the deputy chief minister said he does not know the mind of the HPC on whether they will accept the government’s proposal as that is a different issue altogether. “However, we will again meet them after the Puja holiday,” he added.

Later while speaking to media persons, HPC secretary Gurjit Singh however expressed concern that the government had rejected its 8-points resolution.

“The government has instead come up with its own blueprint. Therefore, we will first study the blueprint, we will go back to the people of our community to discuss and take a collective decision then we will come back to the government,” he said.

To a query, Singh said, “In our resolution, we had demanded 200 square meters of land for each of the 342 families but now the government is saying that it will construct multi-storey flats. However, I cannot decide alone on this, that is why collective decisions will be taken by the community.”

He informed that the HPC will immediately convene a meeting after Puja holiday.