Anti-uranium mining protestors vandalise KHADC office

Anti-Uranium mining activists today stormed into the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) here and vandalised the offices and even mandhandled women staff at the council, police said.
The 60-odd activists stormed into the office at noon time shouting anti-uranium mining slogans protesting against the alleged involvement of the Council in giving a 'no-objection certificate' for a road construction that leads to the uranium ore site in West Khasi Hills district, they said.
Since some of the activists were shouting slogans commonly associated with the Khasi Students Union, a case was registered against the organisation following an FIR lodged by the Council's Secretary, East Khasi Hills district SP M Kharkrang said.

The official in his complaint said that KSU activists forcefully entered the office and vandalized the chambers of the council's CEM and the Secretary.
The activists stormed the KHADC office to protest against the latter's decision to issue a partial NOC to a 43 km road from Nongstoin to Wahkahji which they alleged was to facilitate mining of uranium.
The KSU is one among the anti-uranium pressure groups protesting against the issuing of NOC for construction of the 68km Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Mawthabah road and opposing it on the ground that the road would facilitate uranium mining in the area.

The KHADC premises was later put under tight security after the incident with police personnel besides magistrates being deployed to ensure law and order.

KHADC Employees Association President Leonard Khongsngi, while condemning the incident said, the activists should have at least shown some decency and refrained from manhandling their fellow staff including females "as we are working here without having any political agenda."
The KSU has however, refuted the allegation that its members were involved in vandalising the KHADC office.
The KHADC in its executive committee meeting held yesterday had decided not to grant any permission for the remaining 20km road leading to Mawthabah village where mining of uranium is to take place.
The decision was taken based on the recommendation placed before the EC by the Committee on Nongstoin-Wahkaji- Mawthabah Road Project headed by EM in-charge Land Hadrian Lyngdoh.