Jowai: The Jaintia National Council (JNC) has lodged a formal complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills, urging authorities to halt the upcoming public hearing for Shree Cement Limited’s proposed integrated cement plant at Daistong village.
The NGO has alleged that the company’s land acquisition involved illegal transfer of tribal land to a non-tribal buyer.
A delegation led by JNC Central Executive Committee president Sambormi Lyngdoh submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Shivansh Awasthi on Thursday, claiming that the company’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report cites a land purchase between tribal landowner Syrpailang Sukhlain and a non-tribal individual, Bharat Sharma, in violation of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971.
The Act bars transfer of tribal land to non-tribals without statutory approval from competent authorities, including the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).
The JNC said the EIA report lacks documents such as ADC approval, mutation records or permissions required under the 1971 Act, making the transaction invalid.
It further alleged that the proposed project breaches provisions of the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion Facilitation Act (MIIPA) 2024 and the EIA Notification, 2006.
The NGO accused the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) of failing to verify land ownership before scheduling the public hearing in December.
Lyngdoh also questioned Shree Cement’s employment assurances, saying the promises were “misleading” as the area is predominantly agricultural, with no clear plan for training or local hiring.
He claimed the state government has not acted on policies demanded under the JNC’s “Save Jaintia Mission” campaign to ensure job opportunities for local residents.
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The organisation warned of possible unrest if the hearing proceeds without addressing what it described as procedural lapses and threats to tribal land rights.
After receiving the memorandum, the Deputy Commissioner assured the JNC delegation that the matter would be examined and forwarded to higher authorities.
He also committed to providing a written response to the organisation in the coming days.
The JNC has demanded an immediate inquiry into the land’s chain of title and verification of related documents, along with directives to the MSPCB and the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority to suspend the public hearing until the issues are resolved.
