SHILLONG, Oct 18: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday welcomed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail and mining, despite opposition from several civil society groups.

SHILLONG: The State Government has decided to enter into a joint venture to develop a thermal power project from coal sourced out from the Mandakini-B coal block located in Odisha.

The decision to this effect was taken at a State Cabinet meeting held here on Thursday. Power Minister AT Mondal said that the State would stand to get around 1,320 MW of power divided into two units (2 x 660 MW) from the proposed project.

SHILLONG: The KHADC has unanimously resolved to demand the State Government to revoke its notification declaring the various forest lands in West and South West Khasi Hills joining Balpakram as ‘Elephant Reserve Forest’.

Replying to a motion moved by Mawthengkut UDP MDC FK Ryntathiang on the second day of the Autumn Session of the Council here on Wednesday, the KHADC CEM Pynshngain N Syiem said, “We would demand for withdrawal of the notification since the Government has not taken the Council and the land owners into confidence before declaring the forest areas in Khasi Hills as Elephant Reserve Forest.”

SHILLONG: The reported move by Assam to construct dam on Dron (called Khri river in Meghalaya) has raised concern among environmentalists in Meghalaya.

The adviser of the Indigenous Biodiversity and Social Welfare Organisation (IBSWO), PBM Basaiawmoit, on Wednesday said the construction of dams would have “huge repercussion” on the environment.

A proposed 2 MW micro-hydel power project in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district by the Assam government could become the new flashpoint to the four-decade boundary dispute between the two States, an official said on Wednesday.

The Congress government in Meghalaya, led by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, has feigned ignorance about the proposed Rs 13 crore dam to be built on the Khri river.

SHILLONG: The State Government is trying to ascertain the truth behind the report in a vernacular daily that the Assam Government is conducting a survey on the Khri river in West Khasi Hills for implementing a power project.

Besides information regarding a survey, the report also stated that the power project is likely to displace a large number of villagers who are residing close to the Khri river.

SHILLONG: In a ray of hope for the water-starved residents of Jowai and adjoining villages, the much-delayed river pumping water supply scheme for the area is expected to be commissioned by March 2013.

An official of the PHE department recently informed that the project is in its final stages and 90 per cent of the work has already been completed. “The department is currently carrying out the distribution of pipelines,” the official said.

SHILLONG: The much-awaited second unit of the Myntdu Leshka Hydro project was finally commissioned on Tuesday even as the first unit of the project is yet to become functional.

Talking to The Shillong Times on the progress of the project on Wednesday, Chief Project Manager Elias Lyngdoh said that that second unit crossed one hundred million units of energy on Tuesday and is generating power now.

SHILLONG: The Gauhati High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the State Government for failing to take tangible steps in the matters pertaining to framing of Mining policy.

Hearing the petition filed by prominent lawyer Siddharth Dey on behalf of the five citizens from Jaintia Hills on Monday, a division bench of Chief Justice AK Goel and Justice NK Singh decided to impose the fine after it did not get a satisfactory reply from Additional Advocate General BP Todi.

SHILLONG: Meghalaya governor RS Mooshary today came under sharp criticism by the Khasi Students Union for advocating Uranium mining in the state.

The KSU termed as “ploy” the governor’s recent plea allowing speedy implementation of the long pending uranium mining in the belts of South West Khasi Hills for the sake of development of the under-developed uranium deposited villages. KSU’s South West Khasi Hills vice president R Bahun Sanglyne Basan said,“The governor is simply echoing the same words used by the central government” and wanted to know what had the central and state governments been doing to these villages in the past several years.