MAWKYRWAT: The Khasi Students’ Union has termed the move of Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) to apply for disconnection of power to its guest house at Wahkaji as a “ploy to mislead people”.
In a letter to the executive engineer of MeECL in West Khasi Hills Revenue sub-division, UCIL through the additional superintendent (Geology) of KPM Project C Sreedhar Babu said, “We (UCIL) would like to permanently disconnect/close our GPCG connection, Code – 43G16 allotted to Uranium Corporation of India, Wahkaji, revenue sub-division, Mawkyrwat section. We want to disconnect the said power connection given to our guest house at Wahkaji because UCIL has temporarily closed its offices in Meghalaya.”
However, KSU, which has been campaigning against uranium mining, said the move was to mislead people so that UCIL can “go ahead” with pre-uranium mining activities in Wahkaji-Mawthabah area of South West Khasi Hills, especially the two-lane road from Nongstoin to Ranikor via Wahkaji.
“We do not buy the move of UCIL because we do not trust the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD). In August 2018, AMD had declared that it had stopped all its operations in Meghalaya but we know exactly that the branch office at Nongjri village in South West Khasi Hills district is still there along with the office in Shillong,” president of KSU South West Khasi Hills district Forwardman Nongrem said.
