SHILLONG: The debate on uranium mining and the related 2006 road project worth Rs 36 crore in the KHADC House took an acrimonious turn on Tuesday with angry exchanges between Council chief P.N Syiem and former CEM H.S Shylla.
The banging of desks added to the unprecedented cacophony on Day 2 of the Council’s budget session. It all began when Syiem, and KHNAM MDCs James Ban Basaiawmoit and Adelbert Nongrum stood up during the zero hour notice moved by Mylliem MDC Teilinia Thangkhiew. Shylla stood up to take part in the discussion triggering the uproar.
As the MDCs stated that the matter is to be referred to CBI, Shylla declared, “CBI has given me a clean slate.”
“I support the request to bring in a CBI inquiry but it will not investigate me as it has already been done. They came over to KHADC back in 2007,” he added.
A visibly angry Syiem said, “Do not pretend to be clean. We have to constitute an inquiry to trace the genesis of the MoU.”
“Indigenous communities are tired of people with double standards. KHADC will not compromise,” he added.
A heated argument followed between the CEM and Shylla with the former banging the table and moving towards the UDP MDC.
Syiem said nobody would be spared after the tabling of the inquiry report on the MoU. He added that the District Council “is not a money making machine”.
According to the CBI, a project estimate for the construction of the Wahkaji-Mawthabah road was prepared by KHADC for Rs 19.88 crore. This was subsequently approved by the Board of Directors of the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL). However, there were allegations that the project was approved to facilitate uranium mining.
The CBI also revealed that after signing the MoU for the road, UCIL deposited Rs 5 crore on February 8, 2006, in an account held jointly by UCIL and KHADC in UTI Bank, Shillong.
“If the (remaining) amount is not reflected in the budget then the money has been diverted as it is UCIL’s money,” Syiem said in response to the controversy.
To this, Shylla took a dig at CEMs after him and said, “During my time as CEM, there was only Rs 5 crore.”
He named succeeding CEMs – C.B. Syiem, Celestine Lyngdoh, Mansturdy Nongrem, Ardent Basaiawmoit, Adelbert Nongrum and P.N. Syiem – and stated that the money may have been enhanced to Rs 36 crore during their tenure.
Shylla, who had been CEM in 2006, also defended himself against charges that the road project was aimed at the uranium mining lobby.
He said people had been demanding a road because they have to walk the 20km distance between Wahkaji and Mawthabah and went to then Governor M.M Jacob who suggested setting up an executive committee to make it.
Shylla said, “We told him we have no say over uranium mining to which the Governor said that irrespective of mining of uranium will be allowed or not by the state, but the road should be constructed.”
The UDP MDC insisted that the road and the bridges under the MoU should be built “irrespective of whether the proposed uranium mining is approved or not by the state government or any authority”.
Threat to life
Shylla, during the discussion also referred to death threats issued against him through social media by some vested interests compelling him to take up the matter with the police and the district administration.
