Shillong: The Meghalaya government has decided to constitute a committee to negotiate with the Defence ministry on re-transferring `excess` defence land here
for expansion of Shillong.
Transfer of defence land would help expansion of Shillong and for upgradation of the only airport at Umroi, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told the assembly on Thursday.
He said that Shillong with approximately 0.5 million people and the highest person-vehicle ratio was growing at a staggering 32.38 per cent.
"The state government is asking for a portion less than five per cent of the approximate 2000 acre of land under possession by the defence establishment in Meghalaya," he
said.
He said the committee would be constituted within the ongoing budget session to study the quantum of land the
defence establishments occupied and to recommend re-tranfer.
The Defence minister had written to the state government in November last year stating that a senior defence ministry official was entrusted to examine the matter, after he took up the issue with the prime minister and defence minister.
He said that re-transfer of land occupied by the defence establishments was of utmost urgency to build flyovers
to ease the flow of traffic and civil establishments.
About 38 acre of defence land at Umroi in Ri-bhoi district was required to expand the runway for larger aircraft to land, he said.
The state government also intended to seek re-transfer the Garrison Ground and its adjoining hillock in the heart of the state capital.
Former chief minister D D Lapang said the issue of re-transfer of land held by defence authorities had been
pending for too long and suggested formation of a house
committee to approach the Defence Ministry.
PTI
