A public hearing on Shree Cement’s proposed Rs 1,800-crore integrated cement plant and limestone mining project in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, concluded on Friday amid controversy. The hearing, organised by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) at Lum Syrman in Nongkhlieh Elaka, was chaired by Additional Deputy Commissioner Alertson Nongbri and lasted less than an hour.
Several organisations alleged that those opposed to the project were prevented from participating in the statutory consultation. Landowners and farmers from Lum Syrman and Shnongrim claimed they were stopped by police at Lad Shnongrim and prevented from travelling to the venue, despite carrying an order issued by the Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills permitting landowners to attend. They described the police action as a violation of their democratic rights and argued that those directly affected by the project were prevented from participating in the consultation process.
The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) also levelled similar allegations, claiming that supporters of the project resorted to stone-pelting. The organisation alleged that a nearly 200-metre stretch of road at Tongseng Hill was deliberately dug up, preventing members of the union and residents from Elaka Sutnga from reaching the hearing venue. JSU education secretary Bocheru Mi Pohsnem termed the consultation a ‘private hearing’ rather than a public one and announced that the organisation would lodge an FIR on Saturday.
Despite the protests, several local traditional leaders who attended the hearing backed the proposed project, saying it could bring economic growth and employment opportunities to the region. The Doloi of Nongkhlieh Elaka, Na-o-kyrmen Sukhlaiñ, said the Elaka had accepted the proposal, expressing hope that the project would accelerate development and generate jobs for local youth. Former secretary Willingson Sukhlaiñ also supported the project while stressing that environmental safeguards must be strictly implemented throughout its execution.
According to details presented by the company during the hearing, the proposed limestone mining lease at Lum Syrman spans 217.394 hectares and involves an investment of more than Rs 73 crore. The integrated cement project is estimated to cost around Rs 1,800 crore. Shree Cement currently operates 19 cement plants across India and one in the United Arab Emirates. Officials of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board said the proceedings of the public hearing would now be forwarded to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority for further consideration.
