The Meghalaya Cabinet today finalised and approved a one-time special plan for industrial closure scheme for the Mawmluh Cherra Cement (MCCL) with roughly Rs 100 crore.
The government is in the process of shutting down the state-owned cement company. A one-time special scheme to 205 employees has been worked out.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said the cabinet has approved the scheme. Now the MCCL will propose a scheme and discuss with the employees association and others before the closure. The processes of disposing off the assets will also follow through and the government will form a committee for that as well, he said.
He said the discussion to close down the MCCL was a long drawn exercise which took almost two years.
On the proposal for a joint venture, Sangma said the tender was floated but all three parties could not meet the full criteria. “We explored all the options, even the option of investing from the state government.
He said the government would require a one-time investment of Rs 190 crore to revive the plant, apart from the other running expenditures and the past salaries. More importantly, the mining leases expired and there was no source of raw material. “We would have to go in a new, fresh negotiation with the mine owners for leasing the mines out to MCCL, one of them expired in 2017 and one expired in 2022,” Sangma stated.
The cabinet also approved the operation and maintenance policy manual for Jal Jeevan Mission, wherein water supply and overall water tank maintenance sections will have a separate section that of the distribution lines in specific villages.
An amendment for the Meghalaya Street Vendors Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending Rules, 2022 was also approved by the cabinet. The amendment that has been proposed is to allow the committee to continue till the elections are held.
It also decided that the Invest Meghalaya Agency (IMA) headed by the chief minister, which earlier can approve projects and special subsidies beyond Rs 100 crores worth of investment, will have to also get the approval of the cabinet and also to allow it to buy land as per the necessity of the investments and the projects.
Further the cabinet has decided to start science streams in Sohra College, Williamnagar Government College, Baghmara College, Mawphlang and Mahendraganj College.
The Cabinet also approved the Service Rules for Meghalaya Drugs Control Wing and Meghalaya Commissionerate of Food and Safety officers, enforcement and technical and subordinate staff.
The cabinet has also decided to reappoint B Giri as member judicial of the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission.
