Shillong, 28 March: Amidst claims and counter claims from both the contending parties-that of government on one side and Smti Enilla Ch. Marak, A·king land of Danakgre and so-called illegal settlers of Rongkha Chiring, peripheral areas of Tura Civil Hospital, on the other side, an urgent consultative meeting was called to resolve the contentious issue of evicting the residents of Rongkha Chiring on which to construct Teaching College of proposed Tura Medical College, ends inconclusive.
The meeting was held today in the Conference Hall of DRDA, Tura. Pravin Bakshi, Deputy Commissioner, Tura, who chaired the meeting, said that that this particular meeting was crucial in view of the urgent need for documentation of process in terms of steps taken in this direction so that process for immediate construction of this important institution could be initiated without further delay.
It may be mentioned as per earlier plan, the Tura Medical College was supposed to have been established at Jewilgre Balalgre near Damalgre under South West Garo Hills District located at some 17 kms away from Tura, but the site was abandoned as it was rejected by the Medical Council of India on the ground that as per norm, any Medical College is required to be located within the reach of 10 kms away from existing Civil Hospital with at least 300 beds. Therefore, another land at Doldegre near Tura was acquired which fulfils the criteria stipulated by the Medical Council of India (MCI).
However, again as per MCI rules, the actual Teaching College is required to be attached or at least to be located within the walking distance of existing Civil Hospital with above capacity of beds and only the administrative blocks, hostels, staff quarters and other facilities will be placed at a larger campus at Doldegre. A total of Rs.189 crore has been sanctioned for Tura Medical College out of which Rs. 30 crore has been set aside for Teaching College at Tura Civil Hospital.
However, the process for construction of this unit could not be initiated as out of total area of 150 bighas of Tura Civil Hospital some 92 bighas have been encroached by people over the last 30 years and have constructed both pucca and semi-pucca structures on areas which they called Rongkha Chiring. Some of these encroachers include government employees, it is learnt. Adding to the problem, the A·king Nokma of Danakgre, Smti Enilla Ch. Marak, also filed a case claiming that the land in question belongs to her and due process of law was not followed when it was acquired from her ancestors way back in early 70’s. As such, the matter is still sub-judice for now.
As a conciliatory and compensatory move, the government has offered to accommodate and re-rehabilitate at least some 100 odd families of Low Cost Urban Housing complex at Dakopgre, Tura, if they immediately vacate their present dwellings to pave way for the construction of Teaching College which is to be contiguous in shape but not scattered.
Though, in the midst of conflicting interests, nothing conclusive was achieved, the meeting ended in somewhat positive and encouraging note as the opposite side had agreed to at least allow the Conciliatory & Settlement Committee consisting of all the stakeholders, to do the survey work for parting the land required for construction of the college in the coming days.
