JSU slams CM for his role in EC issued to Star Cement

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 28, 2021

The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) has slammed the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for his alleged involvement in requesting the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to grant the environmental clearance to the Star Cement Meghalaya Ltd for expansion of its limestone mining project at Brishyrnot village in East Jaintia Hills district.

In a statement issued on Monday, the JSU has condemned the Chief Minister for denying having helped the cement company get the environmental clearance for the purpose.

The Union said this was indicated in the letter from the ministry to the member secretary of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) on February 22, this year.

“The letter had stated: Further, Hon’ble CM, Meghalaya vide his DO letters dated 26^th July 2020 and 10^th February, 2021 has also requested the Ministry to take appropriate action under the clause (v) of paragraph 7(i) the Stage 3 of EIA Notification, 2006,” it said.

According to the Union, the paragraph is related to exemption of public hearing for the expansion mining project at Brishyrnot.

“This clearly indicates that this was done solely by the CM without the knowledge and collective decision of the cabinet ministers because as it has come out now that most of the ministers are opposed to the environmental clearance granted to Star Cement,” it alleged.

Meanwhile, the JSU appealed to environmentalists and the general public who are against the expansion project of the Star Cement to write to the NGT demanding the immediate scrapping of the EC obtained from the MoEF&CC.