Meghalaya govt ignores ant-nuke threats goes for hearing

Shillong, Jun 3 (UNI) The Meghalaya government has decided to go ahead with the public hearing on June 12 at Nongbah Jynrin, despite anti-mining Uranium lobbies threatening to go on warpath against the hearing stating that it was to kick-start Uranium mining in West Khasi Hills district.

''We have decided to go ahead with the public hearing to enable the central and state government alongwith the people at large in assessing the opinion of the people including the local residents before taking a view on the matter,'' Chief Minister D D Lapang told UNI here today.

However, the Chief Minister said the government had taken no decision to allow the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) to mine uranium in that area.

The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board's (MSPCB) has decided to hold a public hearing at Nongbah Jynrin village on June 12 following the UCIL's proposal to develop an open cast mining at Kylleng-Pyndengsohiong Uranium ore and processing plant at Mawthabah.

Mr Lapang, who convened a high-level meeting late last evening over the issue on the backdrop of anti-mining groups, announced their week-long agitational programme to voice their resentment over the proposed public hearing.

The state has seen several rounds of picketing and bandhs, mainly on the mining issue in the state.

The fresh KSU-sponsored two-day office picketing in Khasi and Jaintia Hills on June 4 and 5 and followed by night road blockade was called from June 4 to 9 between 1900 to 0050 hours.

However, the educational institutions have been exempted from the protest.

Anti-mining lobbies would picket at the state and central government offices and the financial institutions, KSU President Mr Samuel Jyrwa told UNI here today.

The Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) tomorrow will hold a public meeting on June 4 at Nongstoin, district headquarters of West Khasi Hills, to highlight the ill-effects of mining.

However, Mr Lapang said the hearing was to provide a platform to all persons of the area to air the views, comments, suggestions and objections regarding the environmental issues connected with Uranium mining.

Urging the NGOs and public to participate in the hearing, the Chief Minister said it was necessary and mandatory as per a notice issued by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest on January 25, 1994.

The Rs 300 crore project in 1992 had been revised to Rs 814 crore at present and was strongly opposed by the anti-mining groups, including the HSPDP and KHNAM, the allies of Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government.

The Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) had found uranium oxide reserves estimating 9,500 tonne in the state. The sandstone type uranium deposits in Meghalaya were the largest, richest, near-surface and low-cost discovered in India so far, UCIL officials claimed.

UNI