SHILLONG, DEC 9: The Khliehriat Circle of the Khasi Students Union (KSU) urged Deputy Commissioner Shivansh Awasthi to intervene and halt the proposed Shree Cement Integrated Cement Plant at Daistong, East Jaintia Hills, citing illegal land transfer, procedural violations, and threats to community livelihoods.
In a letter to the Deputy Commissioner, the KSU Khliehriat Circle stated, “We register our stiff and unequivocal opposition to this project and implore your immediate intervention to protect tribal rights, our environment, and our community’s future.”
The opposition is based on several critical issues, including the alleged illegal transfer of tribal land to a non-tribal individual, Bharat Sharma, without prior permission from the competent authority, violating the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971.
“The land transaction itself is illegal, and all subsequent steps, including the environmental clearance process, are rendered null and void,” the letter stated.
The proposed plant also poses environmental and livelihood threats, including loss of paddy fields and income, strain on water resources, and air pollution.
The villagers of Daistong have staged protests and resolved to oppose the public hearing, fearing pollution of their air, water, and land.
“(We demand) the district administration to postpone the public hearing scheduled for December 19, 2025, order a high-level investigation into the alleged illegal land transfer, scrap the environmental clearance process and uphold the Rule of Law and protect tribal land rights,” the KSU said.
“We are not against development, but we are unequivocally against destruction disguised as development,” it stated.
The KSU has also sought the intervention of the chief executive member (CEM) of Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) into the matter.
By Our Reporter
