By IANS,
Shillong: Meghalaya’s opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Friday demanded the state government issue immediate closure notices to all cement plants operating in Jaintia Hills district in violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
The demand came after a high-level committee unearthed a “massive mining scam” in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills district where the state government gave a single window clearance to cement companies to operate in thick forested areas.
“We demand from the government to immediately close down all those (cement) plants as the government constituted report had itself confirmed that the plants were located inside forested areas,” Sangma said.
The committee, which was formed in April last year and submitted its report to the state government recently, found that the plants were located in “thick” forest areas.
The opposition also demanded immediate action against officials allegedly involved in the scam. “We also demanded that the mining licences of the eight cement companies, which allegedly flouted the norms, must be scrapped immediately,” he said.