SHILLONG | Feb 24, 2017: UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh has said that uranium mining in the State should not be carried out against the will of the people.

Mawthoh added that though development in the form of roads was always welcome, it should not come with ulterior motives. “When it comes to roads, it should be ascertained whether the projects are coming from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) or the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL),” Mawthoh said.

The UDP legislator said that though fellow party leader HS Shylla and KHADC CEM PN Syiem were right in their place to try and bring road projects to the State, “everybody realises that it can’t happen at the cost of uranium mining.”

Notwithstanding the scrapping of the MoU and NOC for uranium extraction by the KHADC, KSU leader Lambok Marngar asserted that the union will keep a tab on all developments related to the issue.

“We are hopeful that the KHADC will maintain its stand even on the face of leadership change,” the KSU said and added that development was the last thing UCIL could fetch for the State.

The KHADC had on Wednesday resolved to cancel the no objection certificate for uranium extraction at Kylleng-Pdengsohiong Mawthabah as well as the MoU signed for the Wahkaji-Mawthabah road project in 2006.

The MoU was signed between the KHADC and UCIL on January 12, 2006 when Shylla was the then CEM of the council.

(Source: http://www.theshillongtimes.com/)