Ending two months of bickering between the state government and the anti-uranium mining groups in Meghalaya which later took violent turns, the state government has taken the decision to put on hold the pre-project developmental works to be undertaken by Uranium Corporation of India Limited in uranium rich areas of West Khasi Hills and form an expert committee to delve deep into the matter.
The decision was taken after a meeting between chief minister of Meghalaya, the warring Khasi Students Union and Coordination Committee of Social Organizations a forum of anti uranium mining groups in Shillong.
Government sources informed that the joint committee would be constituted soon and would have seven members, including experts and members from anti-uranium groups like the KSU. The committee would look into the pros and cons of uranium mining and concerns expressed by the anti mining groups and would submit its report in three months.
Since September, the state has been on boil as KSU took to the streets with a long-drawn agitation program to protest the government’s August 24 decision to lease out 422 hectares of land in West Khasi Hills to UCIL to undertake pre project development works eventually compelling the state government to invite KSU for talks.
According to KSU, the pre project developmental works were in reality structural activities by UCIL to start uranium mining in connivance with the state government and the Centre.
