Shillong, May 21: Extra police have been requested in East Jaintia Hills as the controversial public hearing into the limestone-cement plant project by Shree Cement is set to go ahead in the teeth of tremendous opposition on Friday.
A last ditch effort to cancel the hearing was dismissed by the High Court of Meghalaya, which ruled that any opposition to the project should be made known at the hearing itself rather than cancelling the hearing.
Residents of the area around the proposed Daistong site are split on the project and a number of pressure groups have piled on the opposition side.
Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) Secretary George Chyrmang today said that all norms and procedures are being followed for the public hearing and he encouraged all stakeholders to attend and make their views known.
East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Manish Kumar, whose office complex in Khliehriat was occupied by protestors yesterday, said that extra police have been requested to maintain peace. Earlier in the day, at least two persons were reportedly injured after police resorted to a lathi charge when they attempted to enter the premises of the DC’s office again.
Kumar added that the district administration had managed to control the protests and expressed confidence that the additional police deployment would be sufficient to maintain law and order.
Addressing concerns raised by opponents of the project over land ownership and consent of landowners, Chyrmang clarified that the public hearing is only part of the environmental clearance process and that land documents and consent issues would be examined during subsequent stages.
Although a public hearing is meant to give a chance for all sides to put their thoughts on the record, there have been instances in the past when opponents to major projects have argued that they were not allowed freedom to attend a public hearing, speak or get their views considered. The state government has also developed a reputation for backing down in the face of sustained public anger, which may embolden opponents to this project to keep demonstrating in different ways in order to get their demands.
