Security tightened in Meghalaya ahead of road blockade

Shillong, Jun 5 (UNI) Security has been tightened ahead of the Khasi Student's Union(KSU)-sponsored four day and night road blockade beginning tomorrow in Meghalaya, opposing the proposed public hearing on uranium mining.

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

The road blockade will begin from 1900 hours tomorrow and continue till 0500 hours on June 9, affecting the Khasi-Jaintia Hills including the National Highways 40 and 44.

''The district administrations have been instructed to maintain law and order and clear the Highways for movement of vehicles carrying essential commodities to Mizoram and Tripura,'' said Chief Minister D D Lapang.

Mr Lapang said regular patrolling will be intensified on the highways to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. ''The KSU leaders should withdraw their agitations as it will pay no dividends to them,'' Mr Lapang added.

Meanwhile, the two-day office-picketing passed off peacefully, barring suspected KSU activists pelted stones at the office of the Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills district.

Most of the central establishments, including financial institutions remained closed for the second day today with no incidents of KSU-instigated disturbance being reported.

However, Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee told UNI that the government establishments would function as usual without any hindrance.

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

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 tonnes 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