SHILLONG, JULY 14: The pro-road project Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Thursday demanded the KHADC to speed up issuing NOC for construction of Nongstoin to Mawthabah fearing that delay may lead to cancellation of the road project.
While claiming that the road project is for development of South West Khasi Hills region, the JAC has however maintained that it would strong opposed any attempt to carry out uranium mining in the region.
A delegation of the JAC on Two-Laning from Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Mawthabah and Wahkaji-Phlangdiloin-Ranikor-Bagmara roads met the KHADC chief PN Syiem to seek his intervention on the issue, on Thursday.
“We have demanded the KHADC to speed up issuing of the mandatory NOC for construction of the two-lane project,” JAC chairman Ricky Sohlang told reporters at a press conference after a meeting with KHADC CEM.
He said that the demand of the committee came after seeing that the KHADC had recently made its stand clear which is to oppose uranium mining.
Stating that the NOC prayed for is not for uranium mining but for construction of the road, Sohlang said, “When the KHADC has made it clear that it will not issue NOC for uranium mining, then why it should not issue NOC for the road.”
When asked, the JAC chairman said that the KHADC CEM informed that he along with EM incharge Land Hadrian Lyngdoh would be leaving for Delhi tomorrow, to held discussion on the matter pertaining to the road project.
However according to him, if the MoRTH change its mind by deciding to withdraw the project from the district, it will be a great loss to the people of the region, since the road is expected to benefit over 70 villages.
Informing that the delegation had also met MoRTH secretary Sanjay Mitra and chief engineer VK Rajawat, Sohlang said, “They have informed that if there is any further delay in issuing the NOC, the ministry will have to take a final call whether to wait or cancel the project. The ministry is likely to sit tomorrow.”
Claiming that the JAC is fully aware of the MoRTH’s notification which had stated the road is for facilitating uranium mining, Sohlang said, “The clarification received from the officials of the ministry was that the notification in fact only point out that there is uranium deposit in the area but not for uranium mining.”
When asked, he said that the JAC will stand by the people if there is any attempt to carry out uranium mining.
Earlier, the JAC had conducted a public hearing at Nongstoin on July 9, which resolved to issue a 6-day deadline to the KHADC to issue the NOC. It may be also mentioned miscreants have also pelted stones at the people attending the meeting.
On this, the headman of Pyndengumjarain Stalin Thongni, also a member of the JAC condemned the groups which are against the development as he also refuted the allegations that the pro-road JAC are agents of the UCIL.
“We are not agents of the UCIL just because we want development,” he said.
Adding to this, Sohlang also said that the JAC has also demanded the UCIL to cancel its recent tender notice issued in the newspapers.-By Our Reporter
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