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Violence mars public hearing, nine cops among several hurt

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The MSPCB had called the hearing for the expansion of a pvt cement plant

Our Bureau

KHLIEHRIAT/ SHILLONG, Aug 24: Several people, including nine police personnel, were injured when a public hearing in connection with the expansion plan of a private cement plant in East Jaintia Hills turned violent on Thursday.
One person was detained for allegedly getting physical during the hearing for expanding the production capacity of the Meghalaya Cements Limited (Topcem) plant from 2600 tonnes per day (0.858 million metric tonnes per annum) to 4500 TPD (1.485 MTPA).
The hearing was held on the plant’s premises at Thangskai in the East Jaintia Hills district.
Residents of several villages of the Narpuh region, members of the local unit of the Khasi Students’ Union and other organisations protested the public hearing called by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) for the expansion of the cement production units at Chiehruphi, Wahiajer and Thangskai villages in the district.
As soon as the hearing started, a group of protestors began vandalising the framework and pandal set up for the public hearing.
Shortly after the onset of a heated argument between the protestors and the police, the latter resorted to baton-charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob. Reports from ground zero said several people, including women, were assaulted.
The protesters said the core reasons for the people displaying their anger were a job policy and broken promises of ensuring water management, healthcare, and other facilities in the area.
Health Minister and MDA spokesperson, Ampareen Lyngdoh said due process was followed for the hearing, which the protestors disrupted.
She said everything was under control during the initial phase of the hearing when things suddenly went out of order. The location for the hearing was changed but the crowd barged in and tried to set fire to the tent where the hearing was taking place.
“There was also stone pelting and to bring the situation under control, police had to resort to baton charge and nine police personnel were injured,” she said, adding that the hearing could not be concluded.  “The situation is now under control,” Lyngdoh said.
East Jaintia Hills SP, Jagpal Singh Dhanoa said in a statement that about 100-150 protestors resorted to mob violence and started vandalising the pandals and chairs of the venue.
“Since many women and children were present at the venue, the district police did not use any force to disperse the mob,” he said.
After a discussion with the district authorities, representatives of the MSPCB, the village heads, and company executives, the venue for the public hearing was shifted to another hall on the premises of the cement plant.
At around 2 pm, the mob proceeded toward the new venue with aggression and turned violent, officials said.
“They resorted to stone-pelting endangering the lives of civilians, district administration and police officials. Non-fatal force was used to disperse the mob,” a police official said.
A case was registered at the Lumshnong police station in connection with the violence under five relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

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