Jowai, May 12:The AJYWO Central Governing Body, concerning over the 17th April, 2014 order of the Hon’ble Court, the NGT in banning the rat hole mining and transportation of coal in the state of Meghalaya, demands from the government of Meghalaya to translate the Meghalaya Mines and Minerals Policy 2012 into Khasi, Jaintia and Garo if the NGT would never revoke its banning order, so that the general public of Meghalaya would understand the real contexts of the said policy before it is to be implemented in the state.
“If on the 19th May , 2014, the Hon’ble Court, the NGT would sticks to its order in banning the rat hole mining and transportation of coal in the state of Meghalaya and if the government of Meghalaya would have no any other alternative on that day but would surrender to the NGT with the Meghalaya Mines and Minerals Policy 2012, so, before the said policy is implemented in the state, we demand from the government of Meghalaya to translate the said policy into local languages-khasi, and Garo and even into Jaintia so that the general public of the people of Meghalaya would understand all the sections, lines and legalese wordings laid down in the said policy, whether its present form is for the interest of the local indigenous people of the state?” Mr M H Dkhar, the president of the AJYWO said in the press note.
The AJYWO chief, Mr Dkhar also informs, “The AJYWO expresses deep concern over the banning order of the Hon’ble court, NGT against the rat hole mining of coal and its transportation in the state of Meghalaya. It is a fact, if the Hon’ble Court, NGT ban the rat hole coal mining and transportation in the state of Meghalaya, lakhs of people will go starving, especially those who have been depending their livelihood on coal business and mining for so many decades and till date. It will be very difficult for these people to change the present system into a new scientific one within a short period of time.”
“The AJYWO protest the present form of the Meghalaya Mines and Minerals Policy 2012 as it is vague. We also urge the people of the state of Meghalaya not to be in hurry to accept the implementation of the Meghalaya Mines and Minerals Policy 2012, stating, the said policy is not clear in its present form, whether this present policy will benefit the local indigenous people of the state or the outsiders or only those few in power. We have to be very clear with it (policy), before the policy is implemented in the state,” Mr Dkhar added.
“Yes, it is very important to maintain the ecology of the environment while mining minerals but as our state is covered under the 6th scheduled of the Constitution of India, where lands and all the minerals beneath them are privately owned and not by the government, therefore we have to consider from all directions before implementing the said policy, otherwise our local people will be in troubles in the future,” Mr Dkhar added in the press statement.
“In the interest of the local indigenous people of the state of Meghalaya, the AJYWO demands from the government of Meghalaya to immediately translate the Meghalaya Mines and Minerals Policy 2012, into local languages-khasi, Jaintia and Garo, so that the people would be able to go deep into its meaning and take their decision whether it is ok in its present form or it needs to be review and amended” the statement from the AJYWO concluded.(SP News)
