Shillong, Aug 26: The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Wednesday ( Aug 26) passed a resolution against uranium mining in the state.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in-charge Mining and Geology moved the
government resolution against the mining of uranium.
Members from the ruling and the opposition took part in discussion and opposed mining.
The full text of resolution below
“ Whereas the tribal areas o f the State of Meghalaya are administered under the
Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, land within the autonomous districts is held predominantly under community, clan and individual customary tenure, the allotment, occupation and use o f such land falls within the legislative
competence o f the Autonomous District Councils under paragraph 3 o f the Sixth
Schedule, the transfer of land is regulated by the Meghalaya Transfer of Land
(Regulation) Act, 1971 and;
Whereas the Hon ’ble Supreme Court o f India in Civil Appeal No. 10720 o f 2018
in State o f Meghalaya Vs A ll Dimasa Students Union, Dima-Hasao District
Committee and Ors vide their judgement dated 3rd July 2019 have clearly held
that in Meghalaya the private owners o f the land as well as community owners
have both the surface right as well as sub-soil right and thus the tribals in the
State owned the land and also owned the minerals;
Whereas uranium bearing minerals have been identified in Domiasiat, Wahkyn
and Lostoin areas o f the West Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills districts,
and the Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah and Uranium M ining Project of the Uranium Corporation o f India Limited contemplates open cast mining of uranium ore and the establishment of an ore processing plant within that area;
Whereas the said area receives exceptionally high rainfall, is steep terrain and is susceptible to landslides and forms the catchment of streams and rivers on which drinking water, agriculture, fisheries and livelihoods depend over a wide area, and the containment of overburden, mill tailings and process effluent in such conditions over the periods involved has not been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the affected communities to be capable of assurance;
Whereas the people o f the State have, through their traditional institutions, the
Autonomous District Councils, student and civil society organizations and their
elected representatives, have consistently been opposed the mining of uranium in the State; the free, prior and informed consent of the affected communities has at no stage been obtained; and no mining lease for uranium has at any time been granted in the State;
Whereas the office Memorandum dated 8th September, 2025 of the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government o f India, exempts mining
projects o f atomic minerals notified in Part B o f the First Schedule to the Mines
and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957from public consultationbunder the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006;
And whereas the Union Minister of State in charge of the Department o f Atomic
Energy has stated in Shillong that no decision has been taken on the mining of
uranium in the State o f Meghalaya and that matter is under examination;
Now, therefore this House resolves as follows: –
This House records the opposition o f the people of the State o f Meghalaya to the
mining o f uranium and to the establishment o f any uranium ore processing facility within the State”.
This House resolves to urge the Government o f India, the Department o f Atomic Energy and the Uranium Corporation of India Limited not to permit, pursue or undertake any uranium mining operation in the State o f Meghalaya including under the Kylleng, Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah Uranium M ining Project and to close any activity relating to Uranium mining anywhere in the State.
