From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Four months after cracks appeared on the earth’s surface in a market of Sohkymphor village in Jaintia hills district, the Deputy Chief Minister, Bindo M Lanong who also holds the portfolio of Mining and Geology department paid a visit to Sohkymphor village on Tuesday and assessed the situation in the village.
The Deputy Chief Minister along with officials inspected the market and later held a meeting with residents of Sohkymphor village.
“The crack is not a major one”, said Lanong at the meeting.
“The government will never stop you from coal mining but you should take all responsibility that should not affect the environment”, he said.
The Government soon will finanlised the State Mining Policy which will help operating mining activities in a proper way.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, he informed that as per report submitted by the department, there is possible risk in the market area if extraction of coal still continued. “But, we are happy to learn that the dorbar shnong has completely banned mining activities within the residential area in the village”, Lanong said.
It may be mentioned here that, numbers of cracks in the earth’s surface, appeared on September 11 in a market of Sohkymphor village in Jaintia Hills.
As the news about the crack on the earth’s surface spread, media persons in Jaintia Hills rushed to ascertain the facts.
When the village elders, who are mostly coal mine owners, came to know of the presence of media persons in the village, they immediately issued an order to cover up these cracks fearing that the government might ban coal mining in the district.