KSU office-picketing passes of peacefully

Shillong, Jun 4 (UNI) The two-day office picketing called by the Khasi Students Union (KSU) opposing the proposed public hearing on Uranium mining passed off peacefully.

The hearing called by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board is schedule to be held on June 12 at Nongbh-Jynrin near the proposed mining site at Kylleng-Pyndengsohiong Uranium ore and processing plant at Mawthabah.

The students' body has capped the picketing with a four-day night road blockade from June 9.

The financial institutions remained closed even then as there were no reports of KSU activists obstructing office goers.

''All government establishments function as usual without any hindrance,'' Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee told UNI here today.

As a part of the campaign against Uranium mining, the KSU distributed pamphlet throughout the city and implored upon the public to oppose the mining citing that it was hazardous to health.

Chief Minister D D Lapang had appealed to the KSU, including the anti-mining lobbies not to disrupt the proposed public hearing to enable the Central and state government in assessing the opinion of the local people before taking a view on the matter.

Two political parties- Hills State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) were also against the move.

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