Shillong, Jan 8: The Shillong Municipal Employees’ Association (SMEA) on Friday sought the intervention of the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong to ensure the SMB is provided with a permanent office building.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, SMEA president Sylvanus Pyngrope said, “We have requested the state government through the deputy chief minister to provide land for setting up the permanent office building of the SMB.”

This came after the state government had issued a letter on January 4, directing that the temporary office of the SMB should be shifted to the GAD building at Lumpyngngad from the board’s official quarters at Bivar Road.

This was to pave the way for providing accommodation to the board’s employees who are presently residing at Sweepers’ Colony at Them Iew Mawlong.

Pyngrope informed that the government had allotted land for SMB permanent office near the MTDC office.

“(However), we request the state government to either donate the land at Lumpyngngad to SMB for setting up its permanent office or shift the same near MUDA office or MTC. This is because shifting the office to the corner part of the city will only cause inconveniences to the public, especially the taxpayers,” he asserted.

When asked, the SMEA president informed that the deputy chief minister has assured the delegation to soon take up the matter before the cabinet for its necessary decision.

Pyngrope said that the SMB for the past 100 years had been functioning from a land at Jail road located in the heart of the city. However, the land has been handed over to the Maxim Infrastructure and Real Estate Private Ltd (MIREPL) for development of a five-star hotel in the city.

The construction work of a five star hotel in Jail Road which once housed the office of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) started way back in the year 2011-2012, but the project has been delayed.

Pyngrope also recalled that the earlier agreement signed had agreed to provide land of about 30000 sq ft for the SMB office and 5000sq ft for the parking lot. “However, the government has suddenly decided to allot us land in a different location,” he said.

“The decision to hand over the land to the MIREPL was to generate revenue to the SMB office but since 2009 till today, the office is not getting any revenue,” he added.