KSU Demands Recall of Public Hearing Notice for Proposed Cement Plant in East Jaintia Hills

The Khasi Students’ union (KSU) has asked the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) to immediately recall and withdraw the notice for public hearing scheduled to be held on December 19 on the proposed establishment of a cement plant at Daistong village in East Jaintia Hills district.

The demand for recall comes after the MSPCB had decided to go ahead with the scheduled public hearing for setting up of the plant by Shree Cement Company.

In a letter to MSPCB Member Secretary, G.H. Chyrmang, KSU East Jaintia Hills District Unit, President, Streamly Suchen said the public notice issued by MSPCB as “erroneous” and “misleading facts”, thereby contravening the mandatory provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006.

Suchen said the statutory requirement of furnishing requisite documents has been circumvented to such an extent that the issue of ultra vires arises in relation to the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, 1972.

The KSU said that the transfer of landed property situated at Khar Siang Lum Pyrshim, Daistong, Elaka Nongkhlieh, East Jaintia Hills District, for the purpose of establishing a cement plant, is a gross violation to the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, 1972.

An agreement to sale dated October 6, 2025 was executed between Syrpaibha Sukhlain and Shree Cement Limited, through its authorised signatory Bharat Sharma, for the transfer of landed property.

“The statutory requirement of furnishing requisite documents has been circumvented to such an extent that the issue of ultra vires arises in relation to the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, 1972,” Suchen said, pointing out that the transaction concerns the transfer of land from a tribal person to a non-tribal entity.

“The land in question falls squarely within the jurisdiction of the State of Meghalaya and is governed by the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, 1972. Section 3(1) of the Act expressly prohibits any transfer of land between a tribal and a non-tribal,” Suchen argued.

Moreover, the KSU said that the statutory authority empowered under the Act namely the Deputy Commissioner of the East Jaintia Hills district has not issued any sanction permitting such transfer as envisaged under Section 2(d) of the Act.

“In light of the above, it is evident that there exist a significant procedural and legal lacuna in the preparation for the proposed public hearing,” Suchen stated.

He added, “Proceeding further with the public hearing would not only constitute a violation of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, 1972, but would also run contrary to the constitutional safeguards enshrined under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution.”

The powerful student body cautioned that any further action by your office in advancing the public hearing would be construed as an endorsement of a land transfer that is expressly prohibited under State legislation, thereby leading to serious legal and constitutional consequences.

Noting that there are many deficiencies in the preparation of the impact assessment attracting interest on question of environment and society that negatively affect it in multitude aspects, Suchen said that the prima facie imperative to point the issue which is ultra vires to the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, 1972.

MSPCB Member Secretary, G.H. Chyrmang had said the Board cannot cancel the public hearing in Daistong village after receiving the Term of Reference (TOR) from the Central Regulator (CR) for the proposed setting up of the cement plant.

“The MSPCB must complete the public hearing within 45 days,” he said, adding that the public hearing will be carried out strictly as per Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2006 guidelines.

“Our responsibility is to organise the hearing in coordination with the district authorities of East Jaintia Hills,” Chyrmang said.

On the demand for the cancellation of the public hearing, Chyrmang said, “I have nothing to say on their demand. Our role is only to ensure compliance with EIA requirements. We will move forward with the public hearing.”