KHADC chief appeals to govt not to postpone public hearing

Shillong, June 2 (UNI) Chief of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Hispreaching Son Shylla today appealed to the Meghalaya government not to postpone the proposed public hearing at Nongbah Jynrin village on June 12 which will discuss the uranium mining in the state.

Mr Shylla's plea to the government came after the anti-mining lobbies called for a two-day office picketing and four-day night blockade opposing the proposed public hearing.

''If the government decides to postpone it, then it should dissolve the present Assembly and go for fresh elections to decide on the Uranium issue,'' Mr Shylla told UNI here.

Mr Shylla, a known advocate of Uranium mining, said the government should not bow down to NGOs' tactics but go ahead with the public hearing in the interest of the state and country as a whole.

He also made it clear that the proposed public hearing on Uranium mining does not mean allowing the Uranium Corporation of India Limited to overnight start mining operations in the area.

''The Ministry of Environment and Forest will have to study the suggestions and objections aired by the public of those areas where mining will take place,'' he said.

Earlier, the UCIL had also appealed to all the anti-mining groups to allow the public hearing to ensure that the public views are being taken note of.

''India is a democratic country. Let the people attend the public hearing to air their views and suggestions on the proposed Uranium project. If the public at large is against mining we will not proceed with the project,'' UCIL spokesperson Swapnesh Kumar Malhotra had said.

UNI