UCIL wants KSU to iron out mining creases: Union

SHILLONG: The newly elected president of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) said on Saturday that the Centre had to declare Meghalaya as a state outside the Indian Territory before forcible uranium mining here.
Addressing KSU members and other guests at the swearing-in ceremony of the union’s new body here on Saturday, president Lambokstarwell Marngar alleged that Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) “had tried to send feelers to the group for negotiation on uranium mining”.
But KSU will oppose any move of uranium extraction, said Marngar and added that the group would prefer being an outlaw to comprising on people’s interest.
On railways too, the KSU leader remained equally bellicose. He said the union would start talks on allowing the project after the Government sets up entry and exit points apart from anti-influx laws.
Slamming the State Government for its failure to come up with clear cut policies over different issues, he said it is high time for the state government to set up educational institutes in all districts to ensure students, especially those who can’t afford to come to Shillong, would get equal opportunity.
Another issue on KSU’s priority list was the menace of drug abuse among youths and the union will find out ways and means to eradicate such menace by seeking support and cooperation of all stakeholders, including educational and traditional institutes.
Earlier, oath to the new CEC members which were elected during the just concluded Union’s 13th general elections was administered by the outgoing KSU chief Daniel Khyriem.