Jaintia Hills Round-Up
From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: The Jaintia Youth Federation (JYF) has demanded closure of all cement plants operating in Jaintia Hills district saying they are functioning without the necessary clearance from the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoEF), Government of India.
These cements plants, have brought no benefit to the local people, the JYF said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“The cement plants have violated the forest conservation Act, 1980,” the statement said.
“We urge both the state government and the Centre to order closure of all these cements plants,” the JYF president P Majaw said.
Expressing concern over mushrooming of cements factories in Jaintia Hills District, particularly in Khliehriat Civil Sub-Division, the JYF also urged the state government as well as the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) to stop issuing NOC to any cement company which wants to set up its unit in the district in near future.
The district has already been flooded with nine cement plants — Cement Manufacturing Company Limited (CMCL), Meghalaya Cement Limited (MCL), Adhunik Cement Limited, JUD Cements, Hills Cement, Amrit Cements Limited and Goldstone Cements all in Lumshnong area besides Cosmos Cements Limited and Jaintia Cements Limited within Sutnga Elaka under the same Civil Sub-Division.
The JYF said that the existing cement plants had already affected the environment.
Complaint lodged: The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) Central Body has lodged a complaint with the Executive Engineer, PWD (Road) Central Division, and Jowai against a PWD Contractor for alleged improper repair of the Jowai-Amlarem road.
The students’ body lodged the complaint after surveying the Jowai-Amlarem Road [Section of the National Highway NH-40(E)] on Tuesday.
“Blacktopping from Tre-iongriang bridge to Lad-Moophlang was not done properly”, JSU president Elnathan Pale said.
Meanwhile, the Executive Engineer, Sainia Kyndiah said the road would be blacktopped in two coatings.
Black Flag day: Over 200 students of Kiang Nangbah College participated in a black flag day programme called by the Kiang Nangbah Government College Students’ Union (KNGCSU) on Thursday.
The black flag day was organised in protest against the government’s failure to respond to four out of six demands made by the students’ body.
The six demands include expansion of college building, two college buses, construction of college stadium, introduction of new departments including Computer Applications, Information Technology, Bio-Chemistry adequate water supply, fencing and proper electrification of the girls hostel.