Shillong, Oct 23: Following the threat of a hunger strike by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising various associations in the quarrying business, from stone crushers to quarry owners and truckers, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong called the JAC leaders for a meeting at his office today.
In its previous meeting, the JAC had decided to stage a hunger strike before the end of October if the state government failed to take serious action regarding their demands.
The JAC has been opposing the provisions of the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules 2016 that require quarry permits, mining licences and transport challans for local sand and stone and a 100-metre distance norm from water bodies, which quarry owners say is impractical as most quarries in East Khasi Hills are located near rivers.
The association has also demanded exemption for local trucks transporting stone or sand for local consumption from the challan requirement and has argued that small operators working on less than 5,000 square feet without heavy machinery find the licensing procedure confusing and unviable.
According to JAC leaders, Tynsong informed them that the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had rejected certain provisions related to stone and sand quarrying. Therefore, the matter will be discussed again at the upcoming cabinet meeting.
Following the state government’s assurance that it would look into the matter, the JAC decided to temporarily suspend its plan to stage a hunger strike.
