By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Jaintia People Welfare Organization (JPWO), which has been opposing setting up of cement plants in Jaintia Hills district, conducted a survey of the limestone quarries, which the Cement Manufacturing Company Ltd. (CMCL) has taken on lease and also the area where the company had set up its plant.
The survey revealed that the cement plant actually exists in an abandoned land. “It is on this basis that the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF), Government of India has given permission to the CMCL to set up its plant,” said SS Dkhar, president, JPWO.
The JPWO team also visited the quarries which the company had taken on lease in 2002 for mining limestone and had witnessed that there was no tree.
“The said area is rough and uneven,” Dakhar said adding that the said land was not suitable for farming.
Devendra Bansal, the resident director of the CMCL, accompanied the JPWO delegation during the survey.
The JPWO president said a public hearing was conducted by Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board in 2008 for permission from the MOEF, Government of India, to expand production of CMCL.
“But the permission was not granted until 2009-end,” he said adding “it was only after getting all the necessary information, data from books, journals, witnesses etc. which were found to be authentic the permission was granted,” said Mr Dkhar.
According to the JPWO chief, the CMCL had been working hand-in-hand with the local Durbar of Lumshnong.
“The misunderstanding and hurdles with the local Durbar erupted during a public hearing on mining limestone on December 5 last was sorted out later,” he said.
The CMCL has installed street lights in Lumshnong and a huge number of Khasi Jaintia youths have been absorbed by the company and even tenders for supply of sand, coal, pebbles, wood, planks are sourced from suppliers authorized by the Rangbah Shnong,” Dkhar said adding that these construction materials are supplied in other parts of Jaintia Hills, too.
“It is the first company which had set foot in Elaka – Narpuh with the aims and purpose of working together with the local durbar and NGOs of Khasi and Jaintia Hills for the growth and development in all spheres,” said Dkhar.
The JPWO has also urged the High Power Committee and Forest Department, Meghalaya not to get misled by those who want to disrupt the functioning of the company.