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Shillong, June 14: Opposition chief whip, and Congress MLA from Mawlai, Process T Sawkmie on Friday slammed the Shiromani Gurdwara Purbanduk Committee (SGPC) for not allowing the state government to solve the issue related to settlers residing at Them ïew Mawlong.

In a statement issued here, Sawkmie said, “The SGPC tactics to pressurize the state government regarding the problem is not acceptable.”

“We expect the Committee to co-operate with the Government on this issue, but unfortunately, it seems that the SGPC has given a wrong message to the Home Ministry which made the Ministry to summon the Chief Secretary and other officers to Delhi. We have also seen that the SGPC has inflated the issue more. Moreover, there is no respect from the part of the SGPC to allow the State Government to solve the issue,” he stated.

Sawkmie statement came a day after the SGPC has asked the Meghalaya government to allow the settlers to construct proper shelters instead of shifting them from Them ïew Mawlong.

“Quarters are not the solution to the problem but the solution is that they should be allowed to make their own houses,” SGPC Bhagwant Singh Sailka had said after meeting the home minister James K Sangma on Thursday.