Calling out the alleged prolonged inaction, the Hynniewtrep Youths’ Council (HYC) has strongly criticised the Meghalaya government and the office of the Defence Estate Officer for what it described as their continued failure to act against the alleged illegal occupation of land in the Lum Survey area, claiming that the locality has become a hub of illegal settlements, drug-related activities and other criminal elements.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the HYC alleged that the authorities have repeatedly cited pending court proceedings as the reason for not initiating eviction drives. However, the organisation maintained that the explanation is “misleading and unacceptable,” asserting that the litigation concerns only three individuals claiming rights over a specific portion of the land.
According to the HYC, the pending legal dispute cannot be used as a justification for failing to clear the remaining areas of Lum Survey, where, it claimed, large-scale illegal encroachments have taken place without any lawful authority.
The organisation alleged that the government’s failure to remove the illegal settlements has directly contributed to Lum Survey becoming a centre for drug peddling, trafficking and other anti-social activities. It further claimed that the encroachments on government and defence land have created safe havens for criminal elements, posing a threat to nearby residential localities and to the youth of Shillong.