Meghalaya minister hails publication of draft building bye-laws for Cantonment

Shillong, July 13 (PTI) Meghalaya minister Sanbor Shullai on Monday hailed the publication of draft building bye laws for Cantonment areas, saying the long-awaited move would improve infrastructure development and ease hardships faced by residents of the military quarters in the state capital over the past 37 years. The draft building bye-laws, notified by the Ministry of Defence earlier this month, invite objections and suggestions from the public by August 3 before the regulations are finalised and notified. The move marks a major step towards addressing long-standing grievances of residents of the Shillong cantonment, who have been without a comprehensive building regulatory framework since 1989, said Shullai, the local MLA. According to the minister, the Congress-led government had notified a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 0.5 in 1989, following which residents of the Shillong Cantonment area faced difficulties in constructing, expanding and regularising buildings due to the absence of updated building bye-laws. He said the proposed regulations would provide a legal framework for planned construction and improve civic infrastructure and living conditions in the cantonment area. Shullai credited the development to the sustained efforts of the Shillong Cantonment Board, officials of the Ministry of Defence, the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA), and elected representatives. The minister said that as an invitee member of the Shillong Cantonment Board, he attended several meetings on the issue, with some discussions lasting more than eight hours to resolve technical details and ensure there were no hurdles from the government's side. Shullai, who holds portfolios like art and culture and animal husbandry, also said he made several visits to New Delhi along with BJP leaders to apprise Union government officials of the difficulties faced by residents of the cantonment area and press for the introduction of the bye-laws. He said a meeting would soon be convened with the leaseholders' association to gather suggestions and objections from residents before the August 3 deadline for submission to the Ministry of Defence. The ministry will examine the feedback received before issuing the final notification, after which the bye-laws are expected to come into force. PTI JOP NN