SHILLONG, Nov 6: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council, Shella Area Unit, has asked East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairperson of District Mineral Foundation (DMF), Isawanda Laloo, to start implementing the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) in Shella village within 15 days, failing which the group will seek justice from the High Court of Meghalaya for the non-implementation of the central scheme as mandated by law.
The PMKKKY is a central scheme introduced in 2015 for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations.
In a letter to the DC, the HYC said that there are as many as five limestone mining licence holders in and around Shella village area at present, which, according to the group, makes Shella one of the areas directly affected by mining-related operations.
The pressure group, in the letter, also recalled that the Meghalaya government also came up with ‘The Meghalaya District Mineral Foundation Rules, 2017’ in December, 2017, to implement the PMKKKY.
According to HYC, the East Khasi Hills DMF, constituted in 2018, has received total contributions towards DMF Fund from January, 2018, till September, 2021, amounting to Rs 39.34 crore, of which around Rs 35 crore are contributions from five mining licence holders.
“Out of the total contributions for the East Khasi Hills, the contribution made by the five mining licence holders from the Shella village area for the same period is whopping Rs 30,65,75,576. However, it is sad and disappointing to state herein that not a single penny was spent from the fund till date nor a single project or scheme has been implemented in the village out of the said fund, thereby denying the villagers their rights as per the mandated scheme,” the pressure group said.