SHILLONG: The State government is planning to open sawmills at industrial estates to be set up in various places in Meghalaya.
In reply to a question in the Assembly by K.P Pangniang of HSPDP, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the State will follow the guidelines issued by the Centre pertaining to opening of sawmills and wood-based industries.
The chief minister said the government will set up seven industrial estates to ease the problem of people in villages regarding availability of sawn timber.
The estates will be set up at Khliehtyrshi in West Jaintia Hills, Umiam, Byrnihat, Nongpoh, Mawiaban Nongstoin, Tura, and Garugre in East Garo Hills.
Sangma said the government constituted a state-level expert committee for wood-based industries in February as per the guidelines of the Centre.
The government will also identify minor industrial estates in different districts for establishing sawmills, he said.
According to the chief minister, directives have been issued to all licensed sawmills at different industrial estates to open timber depots in the State capital, districts and sub-divisional headquarters and other important localities to meet the domestic needs for legally available sawn timber.
“There is a need to provide legal platform so that wood-based industries can thrive,” he said.
In reply to a supplementary question by Diosstarness Jyndiang of HSPDP, the chief minister said currently 45 licenses were provided to operate sawmills in the State.
NPP’s James Sangma, however, wanted to know whether any environmental safeguards have been initiated by the government before starting new sawmills.
The chief minister said the government was following the guidelines.
Raising supplementary questions, Pangniang said the government should set up an industrial estate at Rambrai, while Witting Mawsor, also from HSPDP, wanted another industrial estate in his constituency (Mawshynrut).
