Northeast Desk, 12th May: The Meghalaya government faced sharp criticism from the Voice of the People Party (VPP) on May 11 over the relocation of families from Harijan Colony, with a focus on discrepancies in reported government employee residency figures.
Recent revelations by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) indicated that out of the 342 families in Harijan Colony, 148 are not government employees, according to information obtained through an RTI filed with the Shillong Municipal Board. The HYC objected to providing land or housing to non-employees as part of the relocation initiative.
Batskhem Myrboh, VPP spokesperson, heavily criticized the government’s handling of the situation, questioning how non-government employees were residing in quarters designated for staff. While acknowledging that the government did not create the issue, Myrboh accused them of neglecting it for an extended period. He called for transparency, urging the government to provide accurate information to the public.
The opposition leader highlighted the disparity between the data provided by the minister and the RTI findings from the concerned department. Myrboh asserted that it was unacceptable for the government to present figures that differed from official RTI data.
Despite the matter being sub-judice, the VPP insisted that the government should clarify its position without waiting for intervention from pressure groups. Myrboh emphasized the importance of public trust in the administration, cautioning that such incidents breed mistrust and hinder governance by fostering suspicion about the government’s intentions.