SHILLONG, June 28: The newly-elected body of the KSU’s central executive committee on Wednesday reminded the recently-formed executive committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council led by Pyniaid Sing Syiem to remain steadfast against the railway project in the state and the issue of uranium mining in West Khasi Hills.
Terming the meeting as “positive”, KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngar expressed happiness that the Council is still firm on its stand to not issue an NOC to any proposal from the Centre to facilitate uranium mining.
Making it clear that the KSU was firm in its opposition to the proposed uranium mining, Marngar said the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) had closed down its office in Shillong in 2008 but the Centre is still very keen to mine uranium in Meghalaya.
“We came to know that there is a continuous effort from the Centre to convince the landowners and the people of the areas where there are uranium deposits to give a green signal to uranium mining,” Marngar said.
However, the KSU will keep opposing any move to mine uranium, he added.
He also said the Union urged the Council to not issue an NOC to defence authorities to acquire land.
“We have seen how people have suffered due to the presence of the army establishment. We have made it very clear that they should not endorse any proposal for the acquisition of land to set up army camp,” Marngar said.
He said the KSU will not allow the railways to enter this part of the state even if it is a goods train.
“Let the Centre give us ILP first to check the problem of influx. It is only then that we will sit and decide whether we should accept or reject the introduction of railways,” the KSU president said.
He said he cannot say whether it is the state government or the Centre which is responsible for the delay in the implementation of ILP.
He said the KSU is not very sure if the state government is earnestly following up the resolution for the implementation of ILP. He said Manipur government had passed three resolutions till the Centre granted ILP to the state.
Marngar also accused the state government of not doing anything on the resolution for the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
“Not only this, we are also not aware what happened to the MRSSA which is a state Act to deal with the problem of influx,” he said.
The KSU president, however, welcomed the inclusion of the district council in the regional committee for the second phase of boundary talks.
“We expect the council to be serious on the safety and security of the people residing in villages along the inter-state boundary with Assam,” he added.J
