Shillong: The Jaintia Students' Union (JSU) has officially hit the brakes on its protest campaign against the Shree Cement project. Union president Jersom Shylla confirmed the decision this Monday. The move follows the Meghalaya High Court taking the union's affidavit on record in PIL No. 17 of 2026. The court hearing is set for September 29.
Shylla cited the ongoing judicial review as the primary reason for the ceasefire. The JSU has presented the court with evidence detailing road destruction, humanitarian distress, and an attack on a medical ambulance. They also flagged alleged inaction by local law enforcement. For now, the union will avoid any moves that clash with the court process.
While the JSU waits, the Jaintia National Council (JNC) is pushing the state government to freeze the project's paperwork. JNC president Sambormi Lyngdoh sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday. He wants a firm answer on the scope of the status quo order issued on August 26. Government officials previously ordered that no work occur during an independent fact-finding inquiry. The project spans 217.394 hectares at Lum Syrman in East Jaintia Hills and aims to produce 6 million tonnes of limestone every year.
Lyngdoh argues the regulatory process is moving forward regardless of the official freeze. The State Expert Appraisal Committee issued an Essential Deficiency Statement to the company on August 27. The project team responded on September 2, asking for a swift environmental clearance. "The immediate issue is whether a project presently under government-directed fact-finding and judicial consideration should simultaneously be permitted to advance substantively through the statutory regulatory approval process," Lyngdoh said.
The JNC wants the government to confirm if the status quo covers environmental clearances, appraisals, and consent records. They also flagged a Rs 1.08 crore payment made by the project proponent to the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board. Lyngdoh insisted that all relevant records, including environmental impact assessments and hearing minutes, must be locked down for future scrutiny. He clarified that the JNC is not prejudging the project's fate, but simply demanding consistent administrative control until the court and the inquiry have their say.
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