Shillong, Oct 25: An inquiry report conducted by the district administration has found no reported cases of uranium extraction in South Garo Hills. This comes after BJP Vice President Bernard N. Marak alleged that illegal extraction and transportation of uranium ore were occurring in the area.
The report states that the administration has not received any complaints regarding uranium extraction.
The inquiry was conducted by Officer-in-Charges in their respective jurisdictions, who physically and confidentially investigated the matter with the help of village Nokmas (Headmen) and other veterans.
According to the report, “No extraction of uranium under South Garo Hills District is detected, nor any complaint is received from the public or NGOs in this regard so far in the district.”
Reliable and confidential sources were also engaged to collect evidence and verify the allegations, but none of them could provide any information on the subject.
The Block Development Offices of Baghmara, Chokpot, Gasuapara, Rongara, and Siju were involved in compiling the inquiry report.
Marak had alleged that uranium ore was being extracted in Garo Hills, as part of a fact-finding report submitted to the central leadership, which primarily focused on rampant illegal coal mining in the state.
He claimed that preliminary findings indicated that the radioactive mineral was being transported in small quantities by private parties using high-end vehicles, beyond the purview of government machinery.
However, based on the inquiry report, it appears that there is no evidence to support these claims. The district administration’s findings suggest that there are no reported cases of uranium extraction, and no complaints have been received from the public or NGOs.
