Khasi Chief summons public meeting

Shillong, June 4 (UNI) A Khasi traditional body has called for a public hearing on June 11 at Phlangdilion to decide whether to allow the Uranium Corporation of India Limited(UCIL) to mine uranium in Meghalaya.

The Khasi traditional bodies function under the sixth schedule of the Constitution and are vested with the power, through the district councils, to control their own land, unlike elsewhere in the country where land wholly belongs to the government.

The public hearing summoned by the traditional chief assumed significance after anti-mining lobbies protested the proposed public hearing called by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board at Nongbah Jynrin on June 12.

Acting chief of the body 'Hima Langrin' Plasterwell Syiemiong said he had received a letter from the UCIL seeking an NOC to mine natural uranium at PhodKylleng-Pyndengsohiong.

The UCIL had proposed to develop an open-cast mine at Kylleng-Pyndengsohiong Uranium ore and processing project at the Mawthabah in state's West Khasi Hills district.

''As I cannot decide this alone, I will convene an emergent public meeting at Langrin to decide whether this NOC should be given or not to the UCIL. All the people who have anything to say about this would have a chance to air their views and decide,'' Mr Syiemiong told UNI here today.

''In case people give the seal of approval, the meeting would work out an MoU to bind the company to certain conditions,'' the Langrin Chief said.

He said the conditions are that the local people would get employment while socio-economic projects and health and environment safeguards would be maintained.

The agreement should be signed not only with the UCIL but be guaranteed by the District Council, state and Union Government, Mr Syiemiong asserted.

''We will place our decision of the meeting during the public hearing of the MSPCB at Nongbah Jynrin village,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the two-day office-picketing sponsored by the Khasi Student's Union to protest the public hearing passed off peacefully.

The influential Khasi Student's Union, which was against the public hearing, had announced their week-long agitational programme to force the state government to cancel the MSPCB public hearing.

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

Chief Minister D D Lapang had 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.

He also appealed to the anti-mining lobbies not to disrupt the proposed public hearing so as to enable the central and state government along with the people at large in assessing the opinion of the people, including the local residents before taking a view on the matter.

In February last, the UCIL had submitted its application to the state government for mining natural uranium in the state.

The UCIL had submitted four sets of documents, including white paper, executive summary on environment, detailed project report and a mining lease to the government and MPSCB.

UNI