TURA, AUG 5: The Garo Students Union (GSU) said on Tuesday that the government should re-look on the ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on coal mining considering all angles.
GUS urged the government to take a serious note of the ban issue and prepare an environment friendly mining plan, which will not dilute the Sixth Schedule or the issue of land ownership of the indigenous people.
“It seems that the government is not serious about the problems faced by the thousands of people in Meghalaya”, said GSU president Tengsak G. Momin in a press statement.
Making a remark that post NGT ban, thousands have become jobless also leading to huge revenue loss for the state, Momin said, “The failure of the recently scrapped committee to comply with the NGT’s directives purely shows its unwillingness to solve the problem.”
Momin said the government should immediately take a serious note about the issue and start working for the welfare of the people. The government should contemplate and take actions to correct the issue taking into consideration multitudes factors that have affected the people by studying all angles, he said.
On environment concerns, Momin said, “The protection of the environment is of utmost importance and the GSU urges the government to take utmost care to protect it. The decision of the government should reflect a well balanced policy, which is in the greatest interest of the state”.
The statement also urged the NGT to allow transportation of extracted coal as the rainy season will wash away some of the coal into the water ways thereby negating the move of the NGT to protect the environment. Momin said, “The NGT must understand the desperation of those engaged in coal extraction business whose huge amount of money is locked in coal.”- From Our Correspondent
