Shillong, August 01: The official of the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) today attended the meeting in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) as they were summon after the law and order problems crops up in the Domiasiat area due to the research work carried out by the AMD department.
After meeting the Executive Member of the KHADC, Mr Latiplang Kharkongor who is incharge land department in the District Council, the Regional Director, Mr Sandeep Hamilton and Deputy Regional Director Dr Rahul Banerjee, these official of the AMD announced that from today they will stop all oeperation carried out in Meghalaya.
Speaking to reports after the meeting with the KHADC, Dr Rahul Banerjee said that they have taken a decision after seeing the situation and the sentiments of the people, that from today they will stopped their work and closed down their operations in Meghalaya.
The KHADC has summoned the AMD officials to seek clarification from the department from where do they get the No Objection to take up exploratory drilling of uranium in areas under South West Khasi Hills District without getting any permission from the state government and the District Council.
The official of the AMD Mr Sandeep Himilton said that under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 allows the department to work anywhere in India and that only permission of local landowner if at all required to seek for the collection of samples. In this case the AMD got the permission of the Sordar of Mawthabah Village who has given the NOC on 4th April 2018.
The official from the AMD said that the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) and the AMD are two different entities. AMD is purely a central organization whereas UCIL is a public sector undertaking. AMD cannot do mining and their work ends after search and research of minerals. The AMD were not aware that such incident would happened otherwise they would not have gone to Wahkaji.
When asked whether they have informed the district authorities before taking up such research work in areas considered to be sensitive, the deputy regional director however said that AMD is a pan India organization and such type of exploration activities are being carried out in the different states, they have only intimate Chief Secretary of the state and any others states it required.
