Shillong: Voice of the People Party chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit is pushing for more than just rhetoric from the state government. He recently questioned the weight of a unanimous Assembly resolution against uranium mining. He pointed to the 2019 resolution on the Inner Line Permit. That effort saw no clear follow-up from the central government.
Basaiawmoit noted a Presidential order from the same day as the 2019 resolution that removed the words Khasi Jaintia from a key provision. He remains deeply skeptical of legislative promises. "A government with a brute majority like the MDA can easily pass a resolution, but we are more concerned about the effectiveness of that resolution," he said.
The Assembly passed a resolution on August 26. It opposes uranium mining and processing facilities, including the Kylleng-Pyndengsohiong-Mawthabah project. Basaiawmoit insists that all exploration must stop immediately. He cited his visit to Jadugoda in Jharkhand as the catalyst for his firm stance. He warns that any revival of uranium mining at Mawthabah will face resistance on his dead body.
The VPP leader is also fighting industrial expansion in the Jaintia Hills. He demands the cancellation of the public hearing for the proposed Shree Cement project in Sutnga. He claims the hearing lacked transparency and democracy. He warned that pollution will soon make parts of Sutnga uninhabitable.
The government ordered a status quo on the Shree Cement site while a committee investigates concerns raised by the Khasi Students’ Union. The VPP refuses to back down. They demand a complete cancellation of the hearing.
Separately, Basaiawmoit slammed Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for his response to recruitment reforms. He claims the Chief Minister dodged concerns about the Meghalaya Public Service Commission and District Selection Committees. Basaiawmoit wants these bodies kept free of political influence. He proposed a search committee of people with impeccable integrity to choose board members. He also called for a confidential section to protect the identities of question setters and examiners.
Comments