Matters over granting of No Objection Certificate (NOC) to coke factory, North East Carbon Industries (NECI) in Shangpung Elaka under West Jaiñtia Hills district came to a boil today.
Assistant headman of Mynkrem village has asked the Deputy Commissioner to crush the NOC issued by the village headman, Nidamon Shullet, as he had done it on his own without consulting the village.
Interestingly, it turns out the headman of the Mynkrem village is Nidamon Shullet, who, besides being the headman is also an alleged investor of the NECI. He is also the district president of the ruling party, the National People’s Party (NPP) and reputedly a close associate of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
In a letter addressed to Deputy Commissioner, G LSN Dykes today, Risnain Langstang, assistant headman of Mynkrem village said the decision of give the NOC was taken on his own without consultation with the people by the village headman, Nidamon Shullet.
“We have decided in a meeting on February 21, to strongly object the decision of the headman to propose a Coke factory (M/s North East Carbon Industries) at Mynkrem Shangpung which is in Mynkrem Shangpung village. The decision of the headman was decided without the decision of the people of the village or the consent of the public at large and no public hearing conducted,” the letter said.
“Therefore we the villagers of Mynkrem, Shangpung strongly oppose the proposed coke factory by Nidamon Shullet…” it said.
The letter further asked the DC to “stop the decision of Nidamon Shullet” to propose this factory in the village premises. Enclosed was a list of villagers who attended and signed the resolution to reject the proposed coke factory in their village.
Besides, firmly opposing the coke factory to be set up in their village, the letter to DC underlined the point that the Mynkrem headman is Nidamon Shullet, who it seems gave himself a NOC, which was then routed through to the heads of the Shangpung Elaka, the traditional unit which has authority over Mynkrem village. The NOC to Nidamon was issued by Shangpung Elaka chairman C Langbang and secretary R Rabon on March 6, 2021 despite the opposition by the villagers.
A day earlier it has been reported here that under the terms and conditions for getting the NOC from the Elaka, NECI owned by Chullet or Shullet would have to make one-time payment Rs 1 lakh as NOC fee to the Dorbar Shangpung Elaka, Rs 50,000 per year as royalty with a rise of 25 per cent every three years, besides 100 per cent employment to local villagers in jobs that they found to be eligible.
Shullet has been dogged by controversy ever since he became identified as one of the pro-rate hole mining persons allegedly assaulted the famed anti-mining activist Agnes Kharshiing and her team mate Amita Sangma in East Jaiñtia Hills in December 2018, an incident that had far reaching impact. His close links to the ruling party leaders has ensured that he remains free, they alleged.
It may also be mentioned that yesterday a group of Mynkrem youth delivered a letter to the chairman of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) wherein they urged the Board not to issue them environment clearance as the start of a coke factory in the pristine surroundings of Shangpung Mynkrem would lead to air, water and noise pollution, which would bring destruction and deterioration to the agriculture and farming in the area upon which the people depend for their livelihood directly impacting the health of the people of the area. The area is different from the rest of the Jaiñtia Hills in that there is no coal mining in the area and is free from the environmental ruin that marks much of the other parts of the Jaiñtia region.
The letter also said that Shangpung is the an area where people cultivate the famed Shangpung turmeric, potato, indigenous rice, among many other crops and they feared that the setting up of the coke factory would directly pollute the streams Kai Um and Poh Luti Shnong which flows into the fields where they crops are cultivated destroying their crops. These streams flow into the river Lurem, and Thulain endangering more areas and drinking water sources with the poison of the coke factory if allowed to be set up.
Besides, these lands are meant for the expansion of the village for the homesteads of the younger generation who will need to build their homes in the future which are the only lands available to them. Not only that, they said that there are many villages in the surrounding areas which will be similarly adversely affected.
