The Jaiñtia National Council (JNC), on Thursday submitted Memo to the Member Secretary of Meghalaya state pollution control board through the Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills District in regard for calling off the public hearing of Ms/Meghatop Cement Private Limited, notified to be held on 18th October, 2024 at Wahiajer Narpuh, East Jaintia Hills District.
The JNC with its General Secretary CEC Wanshwa Suting stated that, as per the notification notified by the Member Secretary of Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board, Shillong No.MPCB/TB-360/2024/EJHD/MCPL/2024-25/4 Dtd. Shillong the 17th September, 2024, it is seen the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board has fixed the date to conduct a public hearing of Ms/ Meghatop Cement Private Limited at Wahiajer, Narpuh East Jaintia Hills District on 18th October, 2024 since 11:00 am onwards in order to gather the concern and suggestion from the public of the region.
However it is astonished to see in one of the news on the 17th August, 2024 released by the advocate (L) Kynjaimon Amse that the Ms/Meghatop Cement Private Limited have not yet obtained any No Objection Certificate from the Dorbar or from the Doloi of Elaka Narpuh, where the company is intended to set up its plant which falls under the Narpuh area. Yet shockingly the JHADC on the 3rd of July, 2023 gave a clearance to the Ms./Meghatop Cement Private Limited for setting up a 3 million ton with 50 MW captive power plant WHRS system without following due process claiming to have obtained NOC from the Elaka Narpuh, this is also said by the (L) Kynjaimon Amse in his news.
Further the advocate Lt. Kynjaimon Amse also mentioned in his press release that the purported provisional NOC issued by the Doloi of Elaka Narpuh dated 3rd November, 2022 is not actually an NOC but a word of assurance which reads “This is to certify that the No Objection Certificate for setting up of cement plant by Meghatop Cement Private Limited at Narpuh Village is under consideration by the Dorbar of Elaka Narpuh. I do hereby assure that the NOC will be issued once The Dorbar of Elaka has passed the resolution. It is clearly shown that the NOC which has been given is not a proper NOC for setting up the plant but just a word of assurance by the Dolloi of the Elaka Narpuh that only after a resolution is passed the Doloi of the Elaka Narpuh will decide on the NOC whether to issue or not to issue an NOC for setting up the Plant of the M/s Meghatop Cement Pvt Ltd at Wahiajer village East Jaintia Hills District.
It is more surprising that on the 14th September, 2024 the General Secretary of Elaka Narpuh Sumer has officially released a notification asserting that as per the direction from the Executive Dorbar held on 12th September, 2024. He announced a call for a Special Dorbar of Elaka Narpuh to be held on the 23rd September, 2024 at 11:00 a.m at Dorbar Hall Elaka Narpuh at Lumshnong, one of their agenda to be discussed in the Special Dorbar of Elaka Narpuh is ‘NOC Meghatop Cement Pvt. Limited.
This shows that, it is confirmed that the Ms/ Meghatop Pvt. Limited have not yet obtained any such OC from the Dorbar Of Elaka Narpuh yet, as have claimed earlier but the JHADC have already given the clearance to the company to set up its plant at the earliest. What if the Dorbar of Elaka resolved not to provide any NOC to Ms/ Meghatop Cement Pvt. Limited. It is understandable that JHADC exists in order to protect the right, the land the custom etc of the indigenous people of Jaintia but if this is the case it means that the JHADC has a mollified intention towards the people of Narpuh Elaka and the people of Jaintia, which will never be accepted. So therefore as per the studying to all the information accumulated by the Jaintia National Council Central Executive committee, it is found that the Ms/Meghatop Cement Pvt. Limited have not yet gained every necessary documents from the Elaka Narpuh, in order to set up its plant in the region, said Wanshwa Suting.
The JNC is suggesting the authority to call off at once the public hearing of Ms/Meghatop Cement Pvt. Limited in the interest of the public of Elaka Narpuh and of the public in general.