Shillong, Apr 24: The farmers of Shnongrim, under the Nongkhlieh Elaka of East Jaintia Hills, have expressed their strong dissatisfaction over the proposed public hearing to discuss the mining of limestone by Shree Cement.
The public hearing is scheduled for May 22 by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board.
The company plans to mine limestone in an area of 217 hectares at Lum Syrman.
Local farmers have voiced concerns about the lack of communication and transparency from the Elaka, village authorities, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) and MSPCB before this public hearing. They stated that they were not informed by landowners and feel their rights to the land are being violated.
The farmers today approached JHADC CEM Thombor Shiwat to discuss land ownership issues related to the proposed mining operations.
According to the famers, the CEM told them that he has not received any information regarding the naming of Lum Syrman as Block-A and the office has not issued any certificate to the village.
Pynshai Sutnga, a representative of the farmers, stated that they have already lodged complaints with various government departments, including the Deputy Commissioner, the MSPCB in Shillong, and the JHADC office.
“We have come to demand that the district council, as a custodian of our lands, should cancel the public hearing and verify land ownership and the forced occupation of the land by Shree Cement,” he said.
He said the farmers rely on this private land for their agricultural livelihood and livestock, making their concerns particularly pressing.
