From Our Correspondant
JOWAI: Its seems that the Jaintia hills Autonomous District Council still confused over transfer of land to cement companies operation in Jaintia hills particularly under Narpuh Elaka within Khliehriat Sub-Division.
During the question hour on the second day of the JHADC winter session, an Independent MDC, Moonlight Pariat of Jowai Central in his supplementary question asked the member incharge Forest Department how does cement company obtained lands for setting up cement plants in Jaintia hills.
The EM Incharge, Amos Dkhar informed the house that all Cement Company have purchased lands for their establishment. When Pariat again raised the question on how can cement company purchase land, the EM in charge informed the house that all cement companies have obtained land by lease. However, he failed to convince the house how much annually the company pay for the leased land.
The EM in charge also informed the house that nine cement companies are operational in Jaintia hils in Narpuh Elaka, Rymbai and Sutnga Elaka.
He informed that three other companies have applied ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOCs) for setting up other three new cement plants within these three elakas.
It may be mentioned here that the State Planning Board which has inspected the cement plants in Jaintia hills, revealed that all cement plants under Narpuh Elaka have purchased the land for setting up cement plants and also for limestone mining.
All land purchased by cement companies have been permanently transferred as per the land Transfer Act.
Concerned over the delayed construction and redevelopment of Iawmusiang market project, Pariat also questioned the EM in Charge Civil Works Department of the District Council about the status and actual position of the project. The EM in charged, Dunno Nongpluh informed the house that the Construction of the centrally sponsored market project have been entrusted to the state Public Work Department.
“They (PWD) are now in the process of finalization of the contractor”, Nongpluh said. He added that on the part of the District Council, The Ministry of DoNER has been requested through the state government to accord approval for the construction of the market project up to the height permissible as per the Meghalaya Urban Development Agency (MUDA) bye law.
It may be mentioned that according to the estimated plan, the construction of the market project is up to seven storey which is not permissible as per the MUDA building bye laws.
Moonlight Pariat expressed that the EC should negotiate with the government and the MUDA should allow JHADC to construct the project as per plan submitted to the Ministry of DoNER, so that the construction of the project could be take off immediately as soon as the construction work is allotted to a PWD contractor.
Pariat also questioned on the amount involved in construction of a temporary market and the amount involved in dismantling the old Iawmusiang market.
The EM incharge informed that the expenditure involved in dismantling the old Iawmusiang market stood at Rs. 8, 92, 760.00.
“The dismantling of the old market is done departmentally”, the EM in charge informed.
Interestingly, the amount involved in construction of the temporary market place at Ladthadlaboh locality is not known.
The EM in charge has only stated that the total amount involved will be known only after the completion of the final bills which are under process.
The JHADC Chairman, Obil Kyndait have also requested the Executive Committee to speed up the matter related to the construction of the Iawmusiang market as every members and people in the district long to see the project take off immediately.