From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) never signed any Memorandum of Understanding or made any agreement with the District Council. This was the reply of the member in charge of Forest and Political department of the Council, Hambertus Nongtdu to a motion moved by Narpuh MDC, MS Tyngkra.
Independent member, Tyngkra moved a motion in the house on the role of the JHADC in regard to the MoU penned between the District Council and various cement companies who has come to set up their cement plants in East Jaintia Hills District.
While clarifying, the member in charge, Nongtdu informed the house that the JHADC never signed any MoUs with any cement company in Jaintia Hills.
He however informed that the District Council issued ‘No Objection Certificates’ to all cement plants on conditions that they comply to the terms laid down.
“Some of the terms and conditions mentioned in the NOC is about the employment of local youth, construction of schools, health centre and hospital besides other developmental work which will benefit the local people of the area”, Nongtdu said.
The JHADC issued more than ten NOCs to various cement companies with about 5 of them being in an operational state and the remaining are still under construction.
It is a fact that the JHADC has failed to generate revenue from any cement companies except the Royalty share from the State Government in the ratio of 25:75 percent. The JHADC is getting only 25 percent while the Government is enjoying the lion’s share.
“We collect no other taxes except the Royalty share on lime stones and other raw material from the Government”, said Nongtdu while speaking to media persons after the Monday session of the District Council.
In other developments, member representing Jowai South, Dunno Nongpluh moved a motion on River pollution. Interestingly, the Chairman misled the house stating that Pollution is not the subject matter of the District Council.
“River is the subject of the District Council and if such a subject is under consideration, should not the JHADC take serious steps to prevent such threats”, Nongpluh asserted.
Hearing the Chairman’s Comments that pollution is not the subject of the JHADC, the Chief Executive MB Rymbai also stressed that rivers are not the subject matter of the District Council.
The motion was later closed with an assurance from the CEM that the Executive Committee will examine in to the matter.