SHILLONG, SEP 30: Chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday assured to take up with the Centre regarding the recent office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) after studying the entire legal aspects of it.
The memorandum, which proposes to exempt public consultations and hearings for mining projects involving atomic minerals like uranium, has sparked concerns among citizens, as these processes are crucial components of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
“As a government we have made our stand very clear that our people and our community and as stakeholders (and) even as a government that we are not in favour of mining of uranium. We have been very clear on that and we have made this statement very openly and I am making it open now also,” Sangma told reporters on Tuesday.
The chief minister expressed serious concerns over the notification, stating that although he hadn’t reviewed it in its entirety, the matter warrants thorough legal scrutiny.
“And based on what we see, we will seek clarification from the government of India and as and when required I will take up the matter with the government of India at different levels and ensure that the interest of our people is protected,” he assured.
“So therefore it is the responsibility of the government and if we find anywhere that there is any particular law or any particular notification that goes against the interest of our people, it is the duty of the government to take up the matter with the central government and I assure you and I assure the people of the state that we will be standing with the people on this issue and we will take up the matter once we have seen the entire legal aspects of it and the impact of this and once we are clear, we will move to Delhi and if necessary we will take up the matter at the highest level,” Sangma further added.
By Our Reporter
