Shillong, May 15: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government on Tuesday took the same decision as in December last year where the state government and the KHADC decided that the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority should implement the Meghalaya Building Byelaws, 2011 only in municipal areas.

The government also decided to direct the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) and the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department to allow newly constructed houses in scheduled areas to get electricity and water connections even without having the permission for construction of houses.

This decision was taken at a meeting between the state government, KHADC and the Synjuk Ki Nongsynshar Shnong Ka Bri U Hynñiewtrep (SNSBH).

The meeting chaired by the chief minister Conrad K Sangma was attended by cabinet ministers, KHADC chief Pynshngain N Syiem, MDCs and representatives of the Synjuk besides senior government officials.

Conrad told reporters after the meeting that the Urban Affairs department was asked to write to the MeECL and PHE to relax those provisions.

In a similar meeting held on December 14 last year, the previous government had also decided to withdraw MUDA from areas outside Municipality, and local authorities would be appointed to implement the building bye-laws in areas outside municipality.

However Conrad said that the state government has now asked the KHADC to come up with its own building bye-laws.

“We have decided to put up town planning committees (TPCs) and the district council affairs (DCA) and KHADC will discuss together how to make laws for the TPCs,” he said.

On the need to amend the Meghalaya Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act, 2004, Conrad admitted that there were some legal complications and the law department has been asked to look into it.

The amended Act 2004, section 1 sub-section (2) of the original Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973 which states “It shall extend to the whole of Meghalaya excluding the Autonomous Districts” has been deleted.

“In principle the decision was to go back to the original provisions that was there in the law (1973),” Conrad said.

KHADC CEM P.N. Syiem said that the government has agreed to re-insert section 1 sub-section (2) of the original Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973, which exclude the scheduled areas from the building byelaws of the state.

“The government has assured to pass an ordinance for amending the 2004 Act and bring back section 1 sub-section (2) of the original Act,” Syiem said.

To a question whether the KHADC is competent enough to implement its own building byelaws as it did not have technical experts, Syiem said, “the council will seek the support of the State government.”