Shillong: Faced with growing protests
against the proposed uranium mining project in the state,
Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang has invited the agitating
groups for a dialogue to end the impasse.
"We are ready to hold talks with the agitating groups,
including the Khasi Students Union (KSU) and Coordination
Committee of Social Organisation (CCSO), provided they suspend
their agitational programmes," the Chief Minister told
reporters here last night.
The KSU is spearheading a movement to mount pressure
on the D D Lapang-led government to scrap its decision to
allow UCIL to go ahead with its "pre-mining developmental
projects" in the uranium-rich areas of West Khasi Hills
district.
The government has proposed to hold a dialogue with
the agitating groups on November 3.
The KSU has announced a fresh series of night road
blockades from October 29 to protest against the project.
Similarly, the CCSO, an umbrella organisation of five pressure
groups, also announced to stage a hunger strike on October 30.
The CCSO also decided to rope in Church leaders to take
part in the hunger strike.
The Chief Minister said after the meeting with the
anti-mining group that he would also meet the pro-mining
groups as they had also expressed the desire to have a
dialogue with the government.
Meanwhile, the State Government has decided to impose
restrictions on people entering the Secretariat complex.
The restriction comes into force after the embarrassing
incident on October 23 last when members of the CCSO barged
into the Secretariat and pinned black badges on some Cabinet
ministers and staff of the Secretariat to protest uranium
mining.
Principal Secretary (Home) Barkos Warjri said all
government employees must display their identity card before
they enter the Secretariat buildings.
Warjri said members of the public who intend to
visit the Secretariat buildings have to enter through the main
entrance and must also identify themselves and obtain
permission at the reception counter.
Bureau Report
