SHILLONG, July 16: Under mounting pressure from a defiant anti-uranium movement that has defined Meghalaya’s politics for decades, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday announced that the NPP-led MDA Government will move a formal resolution in the Assembly opposing uranium mining — a clear signal that the state will not surrender their land, water and future to the radioactive threat.
The announcement came amid renewed public fury after remarks by Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh were widely seen as reopening the door to the long-rejected project.
Sangma clarified that the Centre has taken “no decision” on uranium mining in Meghalaya and that Dr. Singh’s comments had been “misinterpreted.”
“He made it very clear that the Government of India has not taken any decision on uranium mining in Meghalaya and that the matter is still under examination. There has been no decision to move forward,” Sangma said.
He disclosed that NPP leaders, in a meeting on Wednesday, unanimously urged the government to place such a resolution in the Assembly. “Based on the suggestions and decisions of the party leaders, we will move forward towards passing a resolution in the Assembly to oppose uranium mining in Meghalaya,” he said.
The resolution, he added, would formally express the state’s commitment to protecting its environment, forests and communities from the potential adverse impacts of uranium extraction.
“There are too many risks involved, and we are very firm that we will oppose uranium mining in our state,” Sangma asserted, citing long-term environmental, ecological and health implications.
The assurance comes days after the KSU strongly opposed any revival of uranium mining and demanded relocation of the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) office from Nongmensong, Shillong. KSU general secretary Reuben A. Najiar said the continued presence of the AMD office shows the Centre has not abandoned its plans.
The union has further alleged that influential persons, including former MLAs, are quietly purchasing land at throwaway or unusually high prices in the uranium-rich Domiasiat area of South West Khasi Hills through intermediaries, with the suspected aim of later transferring or reselling it at a premium to agencies linked to uranium mining such as UCIL.
The KSU said it is collecting documentary evidence via RTI applications on these land acquisitions by politically connected individuals and has promised to make the findings public soon, while demanding that the Meghalaya Assembly and the three Autonomous District Councils pass formal resolutions banning uranium mining and that legal safeguards be enacted to prevent such speculative land deals.
Meanwhile, the Voice of the People Party (VPP) pressed the Centre to categorically rule out any move to revive uranium mining. VPP spokesperson Dr. A.W. Rani said Dr. Singh’s remarks that the Centre is “working on” the issue under the SHANTI Act, 2025, have reignited concerns and created uncertainty.
He said the people of Meghalaya deserve an unambiguous position from the Centre on a matter with far-reaching implications for the environment, public health, land rights and the future of indigenous communities. If the Centre has no intention of reviving mining, it should make a clear public declaration, Rani said.
Reaffirming the VPP’s opposition, he rooted it in environmental degradation, health risks, and the constitutional and customary rights of indigenous people over their land and resources. He urged the state government to investigate reports of land purchases in uranium-bearing areas and remain vigilant against any indirect attempts to facilitate mining.
