Violation of forest norms by cement companies
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State government has constituted a joint investigation committee (JIC) to ‘reverify’ the findings of a high-level committee (HLC) which had asserted that eight Jaintia Hills-based cement companies have flouted environmental norms and guidelines as per Forest Act, 1980.
Informing this here on Monday, Forest Minister Prestone Tynsong said the committee was constituted following a directive from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court, which had asked the State Government to re-examine the findings of the State HLC.
He said the Committee would be headed by the Chief Conservator of Forests C P Marak and aided by the Additional Principal Conservator of Forests, MoEF.
Last year, the HLC, constituted by the state government, had indicted eight cement plants of Jaintia Hills for violating Forest Act, 1980.
Terming the HLC report as ‘inconclusive’, Tynsong said, “The Supreme Court Committee has written to the State government informing about the incompetency of the HLC to define those areas in question.”
“The JIC will re-verify and redefine such forest lands that were used and will submit its report at the earliest,” the Minister said.
The directive from the CEC has come as a shocker for NGOs who were vocal against the use of forest land by the cement companies.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Mait Shaphrang Movement (MSM) on Monday met Tynsong and demanded an immediate end to the alleged misuse of forest lands by the cement companies.