JNC alleges illegal land purchase in EJH by Shree Cement
Complains to DC, demands inquiry into land chain of title
Shillong, Nov 28: The Jaiñtia National Council (JNC) Central Executive Committee (CEC) has alleged illegal land purchase by a cement company in East Jaintia Hills.
JNC on Friday complained to Deputy Commissioner Shivansh Awasthi against Shree Cement Limited’s proposed integrated cement plant at Daistong village.
The memorandum highlighted the alleged illegal land purchase by one Bharat Sharma from Syrpailang Sukhlain, as detailed in the company’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report submitted to the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB).
This transaction violates the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act, 1971, which prohibits such transfers without statutory permission from competent authorities, and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), a statement from the JNC said.
JNC president Sambormi Lyngdoh accused the EIA of lacking essential documents, including JHADC approval, mutation records, or any permission under the 1971 Act, rendering the land deal void ab initio.
The NGO criticised MSPCB for dereliction of duty in proceeding without scrutinising land ownership.
Lyngdoh also dismissed Shree Cement’s employment promises as unreliable, pointing to local skill gaps as the area is mostly agricultural land, an absence of training plans and government inaction on mandatory local hiring policies despite JNC’s Save Jaiñtia Mission advocacy since 2024.
“We demand an immediate inquiry into the land chain of title, authenticity of documents, and directives to MSPCB and the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority to halt the public hearing, as the memorandum underscores the risks of setting dangerous precedents for tribal land dispossession,” Lyngdoh said in the statement.
