(file photo)

Shillong, June 27: Former Meghalaya Urban Affairs Minister, Paul Lyngdoh on Wednesday said that only political will can solve the problem related to resettlement of genuine settlers residing at Them ïew Mawlong.

Lyngdoh who met Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong, also the Chairman of the High Level Committee in the Secretariat here said, “I see that the solution can be found out only if there is a political will.”

Stating that that ownership over the land at Them Mawlong is a matter between the Shillong Municipal Board and the Hima Mylliem Syiemship, Lyngdoh said that people who are residing in the area cannot claim ownership right of the land.

Lyngdoh also slammed some people from outside for interfering into the issue and tried to paint different colours.

“This is not a communal issue, but an issue of ownership over the area,” the former Urban Affairs Minister said.

He said that in the past, including when he was the Urban Affairs Minister, there was attempt to decongest Them ïew Mawlong area.

He however said that the move to swap land with the Defence Authority at Umbir to facilitate construction of fly over was opposed by former MLA of Umroi, S.W. Rymbai, and one Harcharan Singh Josh who was the member of the National Commission for Minorities petitioned to the then Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, P.R. Kyndiah against possible eviction of the settlers on August 6, 2007.

Lyngdoh said that apart from other valuable suggestions and inputs that the High Level Committee may have come across, it is important to revive the road-cum-flyover from Rap’s Mansion to Them ïew Mawlong, construction of multi-level parking lots projects in the interest of permanently freeing this vital economic hub of human habitation and optimizing its latent potential.

He also demanded that the Them ïew Mawlong should be retained and the government should come up with a notification to that effect.