Tura, Aug 5: The Garo Students Union (GSU) today said that government
should re-look on the ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT)
on coal mining considering all perspectives.
They have urged the government to take a serious note of the 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 Tengsak G. Momin,
president of GSU in a release.
Making a remark that post NGT ban, thousands have become jobless and
there has been 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. The
government should immediately take a serious note about the issue and
start working for the welfare of the citizens. The government should
contemplate and take actions to correct the issue taking into
consideration the multitudes of factors, who do affect the people by
studying the issue from all angles”.
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 release 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. “The NGT must understand the desperation of those engaged
in coal extraction business whose huge amount of money is locked in
coal”,(SP News)
