Chandigarh, June 7: Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh has said that his government will provide compensation to the Punjabi settlers, whose shops were gutted during the recent violence in Shillong.
The Chief Minister, who met the four member committee headed by State Cooperation Minister, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, on their return from the strife-torn areas of Shillong, said that the Punjab government will also assist the settlers in the construction of an under construction community-run school.
The chief minister said that his government will also provide legal guidance to the affected families, if required.
According to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s officer, Capt. Amarinder Singh also said that he would speak to his counterpart in Meghalaya and the Union Home Minister and request them to take all possible steps to instil confidence in the Punjabi settlers.
Briefing the chief minister about the visit, Sukhjinder Randhawa said besides the Meghalaya Chief Minister, they had met the Chief Secretary, the DGP and the Chairman of the “Syiem of Mylliem and Durbar”. They said that while the local Gurudwara Sahib and the school run by the Punjabi community had not been damaged, two shops and two vehicles belonging to the Punjabi settlers had been burnt.
He said that these Punjabi families had been staying there for the last 150 years and their proposed relocation from the main market area of Shillong to any other place would adversely impact their livelihood. He said that the State Government should await the decision of the competent court before any fresh proposal is made to shift or relocate the Punjabi settlers from the land in question.
Sukhjinder also stated that during their meeting with the Chairman of the “Syiem of Mylliem and Durbar”, the committee had requested him to expeditiously decide the appeals pending before the Council in compliance of the High Court orders after giving due opportunity to the settlers of presenting their case. He said that the Chairman had assured the committee that he would decide the cases in a time-bound manner.
Besides Randhawa, the other members of the committee included MPs Ravneet Singh Bittu and Gurjit Singh Aujla, MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid and DS Mangat (IAS).
