SHILLONG, JAN 30: The UDP on Thursday demanded that the state government should revoke its recent decision in transferring land to cement companies for afforestation.
UDP acting general secretary Allan F Dkhar said, “There are other options rather than transfer of land with land alienation being one of the key issues which all the ngos of the state have raised objection.” He said that the party fails to understand why the government is facilitating the transfer of land to these companies when they could have simply lease out the land.
Stating that transferring land to the cement companies should not be allowed at all, Dkhar pointed out the state mining policy clearly talks about the mine closure plan which stipulates re-afforestation, filling up of those rat holes mines where coal has already been extracted besides other necessary interventions.
Dkhar instead suggested that the state government should allot areas in Jaintia hills that have been left unattended and have become environmental hazard to the various cement companies for afforestation. “This is compensatory in nature,” he added.
According to Dkhar, the state government should have also taken a decision to ask all the cement companies to pay compensation as was done in the case of Lafarge Company.
Stating why the government is further alienating tribal land which is the most precious possession the tribal has, Dkhar alleged that there seems to be a collusion between the government and the cement companies otherwise why is the government is making such a decision.- By Our Reporter
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