By Our Reporter
Shillong: The Supreme Court has admitted a writ petition filed by the Jaintia Youth Federation (JYF) against the eight cement plants operating in Jaintia Hills district for violating the forest laws and the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act of 1971 along with the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Rules of 1974.
Informing this here on Tuesday, the JYF president P Majaw said petition also mentioned the Meghalaya government, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), Union ministry of Forest, Mining and Geology.
“The petition was filed on November 15 against these government departments besides the eight cement plant for setting up their factories in the “forest-lands”, which is in contravention of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, Environment Protection Act, 1986″, Majaw said. In the petition, the youth body sought Supreme Court’s intervention to stop cement companies from extracting limestone resources in Jaintia Hills district claiming the area is a forest land.The eight cement plants are Star Cement, Topcem, Taj Cement, Best Cement, M/S Green Valley Industries Pvt., M/S Amrit Cement Industries Pvt Ltd, M/S Adhunik Cement Ltd, M/S Goldstone.He further said the date of hearing was yet to be communicated. The JYF chief also said these cement companies had failed to keep their promise of providing employment to the local people of Jaintia Hills district.
