SHILLONG: Peeved at the government’s move to start a public-private-partnership (PPP) arrangement to revive Mawmluh Cherra Cements Limited (MCCL) apart from various issues crippling its functioning, the Khasi Students’ Union Sohra Circle has decided to hold peaceful demonstrations starting from Friday.
The president of the Union, Mesadapbor Skhembill, said that the KSU has requested residents of Sohra to display black flags in their respective homes as a sign of protest. “We have decided unanimously that there will be peaceful demonstrations starting with the black flag on Friday, which is to be displayed in all the homes in Sohra and further notice for agitations will be announced”, he said.
The KSU Sohra circle convened a meeting on Tuesday to deliberate on the ailing cement plant and suggestions for further steps.
The other resolution taken at the meeting was to pressurise the local representatives -Sohra MLA Gavin Mylliem and Shella MLA Balajied Synrem – to be vocal about the issue on MCCL.
The meeting also decided that there should be a unanimous decision emanating from the Hima Sohra and Elaka Mawmluh and not separate.
The attendees at the meeting stressed on approaching the government to resolve the issue so as to revive the ailing plant rather than resort to PPP mode.
The speakers were of the view that the government has the capacity to handle the MCCL and not be hasty with its decision – the PPP route.
Stating that MCCL is a rice plate of the residents in Sohra, because of which many families were benefitted during its heydays, former employee of MCCL First Born Bynnud said that the absence of professionals who are to look after the dry process were one of the causes of the MCCL’s collapse. It may be mentioned that there was a shift from the wet process to the dry process, which proved wanting as the absence of professionals to run new process led to the plant incurring losses.
Bynnud further said that when a professional was employed, the plant was able to produce 500 MT per day but things went haywire again after the official left.
A former employee of MCCL and currently the Acting Sirdar of Mawmluh, JS Rajee, said that earlier in the MCCL, there was a decision to hire professionals and to train the local people which was not done. “This has badly affected the work culture”, he said.
Another speaker said that if better administration will prevail, it would not be hard for the government to revive the MCCL which was neglected for a very long time.
Concern has been raised that disputes on ownership will arise if private parties take over the MCCL. The plant was commissioned in 1966.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and others from the government had mooted the idea of a joint venture or PPP model for scaling up the ailing cement company but no conclusive decision was taken.
Deadline
On the other hand, the Mawmluh Cherra Cement Employees Union has issued a two weeks’ deadline to the MCCL authorities to clear the salary of the employees.
In a petition to the MD of the MCCL, the Union said that the employees have run out of patience as their economic conditions have been affected even more as a result of the COVID-19 situation.
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