From Our Correspondent
JOWAI, Feb 17: The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO), Jaintia Hills unit, on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) demanding the mandatory installation of signboards at all licensed limestone quarries.
Led by its president, Burom Dkhar, the organisation stated that signboards must be displayed in accordance with the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules (MMMCR) to distinguish legal operations from illegal ones.
The move follows an RTI disclosure from the DFO’s office, which revealed that only 35 mining leases in East Jaintia Hills and 18 in West Jaintia Hills are currently valid. HITO claimed its field inspections identified hundreds of other quarries operating without leases in violation of the MMMCR 2016.
HITO has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the DFO to ensure all quarry owners comply with the regulations.
