Shillong: A representative of a United
Nations body on Thursday said the Government of India should hold
intense dialogue with the local people, get their consent and
then take up the uranium mining project in Meghalaya.
"Such projects need participation of the indigenous
people. They should agree that they would like to have such a
project on their land," Chairperson of the United Nations
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Victoria Tauli Corpuz,
told reporters here.
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is an
advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a
mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and
social development, culture, the environment, education,
health and human rights.
Asked about the protests by various organizations in
Meghalaya against the mining project, Corpus said, "The
government should hold intense dialogue until they give their
consent.
"By merely saying that such projects would bring in
development is not enough. Development packages should not be
used as enticement," she added.
It was the government`s responsibility to ensure
rehabilitation and ensure that the people were not impacted.
she said.
She also said that local people should get equitable
benefits from `whatever profit comes out from these
operations`.
Bureau Report
