Protect farmers’ rights before cement project, Meghalaya tribal body tells govt.

A Jaiñtia National Council (JNC) team has given the Meghalaya government a 10-day deadline to assure the protection of landowners and farmers' rights before proceeding with an integrated cement plant and limestone mining project in Lum Syrman, East Jaintia Hills district. The ₹1,800-crore project, controversial since May, faced opposition from local stakeholders, leading to the cancellation of public hearings.

On August 13, the JNC submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, requesting immediate government intervention into the proposed 217.394-hectare limestone project of Shree Cement Limited. Wanshwa Suting, the team's general secretary, emphasized the need to safeguard the customary, possession, cultivation, and user rights of landowners and farmers in the Sutnga and Nongkhlieh Elakas.

The JNC insisted that the land issue cannot be viewed solely as an environmental or industrial clearance matter without addressing the affected locals' concerns. The organization demands a time-bound, transparent verification of revenue, registration, customary, cultivation, and other official records before approving the mining project.

Suting emphasized that the livelihood of farmers cannot be disregarded in the name of mineral development, and fair compensation for losses resulting from the project must be ensured, contingent on the determination of legal and customary rights. The JNC clarified that their opposition is not against development but for justice, transparency, and the rights of local stakeholders.