Khasi Students Union warns govt over uranium lease

The Khasi Students Union has served a 15-day ultimatum on the ruling Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance MUA for rescinding its approval for the leasing of 422 acres of land for 30 years to the Uranium Corporation of India Limited UCIL in the West Khasi Hills district.

Talking to The Indian Express after a meeting of the organisation on Monday evening,KSU president Samuel Jyrwa said: We will serve a 15-day ultimatum to the government on Tuesday to reverse the Cabinet decision allowing leasing of land to the UCIL. Jyrwa said that if the government failed to reverse the Cabinet decision,the student body would then chart out the next course of action to force the government to cave in to its demand.

Meanwhile,Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang clarified that the decision of permitting the lease was taken for promoting development activities in West Khasi and not for the mining of uranium. The KSU and other anti-mining group had been opposing the UCIL proposed mining of uranium in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya as they felt that the resultant radiation would endanger the health of the residents.