"All the land owners have told the government that it can go ahead with the pre-project development works (in the uranium-rich areas of West Khasi Hills). They have made an agreement in black and white," Lapang told reporters last night, amid a stand-off between pro and anti-uranium mining groups over the government's move.
The Meghalaya cabinet had last week decided to lease 422 sq hectares of land having uranium deposits in West Khasi Hills for 30 years to UCIL for pre-project developmental works. The UCIL had agreed to earmark Rs 209 crore to carry out pre-project development programmes, including healthcare facilities, power, drinking water, educational institutions and roads.
The mining issue in Meghalaya has been hanging fire for over two decades now with some prominent NGOs and political parties, including the influential Khasi Students' Union (KSU), vehemently opposed to the proposal on the grounds that it would lead to degradation of the environment besides opening the floodgates for outsiders into the tribal state.