We can take care of the environment later, says indigenous body member
SHILLONG: Looking desperately for at least a ‘short-term solution’ to the ‘miseries’ caused by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban on rat hole mining in the State, the Movement for Indigenous People’s Rights and Livelihood-Meghalaya (MIPRL-M) has called for a public meeting here on August 29.
Addressing media men post their meeting on Thursday, MIPRL-M member Erwin K. Sutnga said that stakeholders from different parts of the State will attend the meeting wherein Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has also been invited.
“We requested the Chief Minister to participate in the proposed public meeting to be held at Polo Grounds when we met him on August 18 so that he could listen to the grievances of the people,” Sutnga said adding that majority of those affected by the NGT ban were indigenous people and not migrant workers.
The MIPRL-M member said that at least 1,50,000 families have been affected by the NGT ban which has also dealt a severe blow to employment and capital generation in the State. The ban, he said, violated the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. “People have reached a stage where they would have to starve due to the ban,” Sutnga said adding that the Government should provide relief measures to alleviate the economic crisis.
“We can take care of the environment later but now we have to save those people who are starving,” he said. Sutnga suggested that Sangma can use the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and other programmes to provide relief to the affected people. He also expressed unhappiness over the delay in the assessment of extracted coal as per the NGT directive by the Meghalaya Government.
He also alleged that the Meghalaya Mines and minerals Policy, 2012 is full of defects.
