From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: The Jaintia Youth Federation (JYF) Central Body has alleged that Forest Minister, Prestone Tynsong has tactically charged cement companies operating their cement plants in East Jaintia Hills District while forgetting those responsible departments including his own department.
“We are surprised to note that as per media reports, the honourable Minister of Forest, Prestone Tynsong had tactically charged the Cement companies of Jaintia Hills that they had misused an area of 16 sq Km (1600 hectares) of land. Indeed the JYF would like to praise our honourable Minister for being an eye opener to the people of the State.”
“However to charge these cement companies only in the matter for misusing of land is not enough, for many issues needed to brought to light in order for everyone to understand”, the JYF said in a release issued here.
The JYF further said, “The question is, who is really responsible for granting NOCs to all cement companies. Is it the autonomous council, the State forest department or the so called single window channel of the State Government?”
The JYF informed that time and again, they had complained against the erring such cement companies to an extent that a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court.
However, there was no support from the government which implied that even the government was indirectly encouraging the companies.
The JYF added that if the government was serious to take up this issue to its logical conclusion, stern action should be taken against such erring cement factories not only in words or in paper but also in action.
