Mukul denies claims of ‘undue favour’ to Star Cement company
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday rebutted claims that the government extended “undue favour” to Star Cement and warned all bureaucrats against indulging in cold war and misusing the media to settle personal scores.
Sangma was replying to a call attention moved by UDP’s Titosstarwell Chyne based on a news report published in this daily on the Forest Department favouring Star Cement. “There is no preference to any particular company. All companies are equally treated,” he said.
Hinting that some bureaucrats are involved in providing false information, Sangma said, “There is a cold war going on among some bureaucrats. They want to settle their personal scores.”
The report said Star Cement is located around Narpuh Reserve Forest but the chief minister clarified that the factory is 4-5km away from the reserve forest.
He also said the ownership of land is with Star Cement Company as per Section 3(1) of the Meghalaya land Transfer Act and it was not the land which was leased out to the company.
For mining lease in a forest land for non forest purpose, the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 stipulates that nod from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change should be taken.
“Compensatory afforestation over land equivalent to the area of land sought for diversion (non forest purpose) is one of the conditions laid down while granting clearance,” he said.
He added the Ministry of Environment and Forests, in Shillong on February 19 last granted approval to Star Cements Ltd. on the condition of diversion of 4.82 hectares of forest land, and not 13 hectares as reported in the media out of the total 70 hectares of land where there is limestone mining project.
On how Star Cement, a non-tribal entity can acquire land in a tribal area in East Jaintia Hills, Sangma clarified that the land at Saipung was initially owned by Simon Siangshai.
“The state Revenue and Disaster Management Department on May 12, 2016, approved the transfer of land from Siangshai to Star Cement in terms of Section 3(1) of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971,” he said.
The section says with the previous sanction of the competent authority (government) tribal land can be transferred to a non-tribal.
Siangshai entered into a sale deed with Star on May 17, 2016, for an agreed sum of Rs 12,21,000 after having duly paid stamp duty for Rs 1,21,000 and there was no question of tax evasion, the chief minister said.
The deed was then registered with the East Jaintia Hills sub-registrar. Further, the Revenue and Disaster Management Department on October 28, 2016, approved the proposed handing over of 4.82 hectares of land by Star Cement to the State Forest Department for compensatory afforestation.
“The principal allegation contained in the news item that the land offered for transfer to the Forest Department is a piece of leased land is false. Similarly, the report had also falsely alleged that since no land could have been owned by Star Cement in the Sixth Schedule area, it could not have transferred the same to the State government. Alongside, it has also been reported that no transfer could have been effected directly from a tribal owner to the State government”, Sangma said.
He further said the transfer of land for compensatory afforestation was done following the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act, 1971, to expedite the process as the rule under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, would have taken one year.
The chief minister rubbished the claim of “undue favour” to Star Cement stating that the time line for completing such process before January 11, 2017, under the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015, had to be complied with.
“Thus the procedure involving transfer of land from the user agency to the State Forest Department for the purpose of compensatory afforestation has been closely scrutinised by several departments and organizations both from the State and the Central government and having found it to be in accordance with law gave their stamp of approval and final forest clearance,” the chief minister said.
After the reply of the chief minister, Chyne said that the Forest Department had not given any clarification on the matter which had prompted him to raise the matter in the Assembly.
In response, the chief minister said that he had not read the news report until someone had brought it to his notice.
However, the Opposition could not counter the arguments of the chief minister.