Shillong: The Langrin Youth Welfare Association (LYWA) has reiterated its opposition to the proposed mining of uranium by the UCIL in the State. In a letter to Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy here on Friday, LYWA president BS Lyngdoh stated that nearly 90 per cent of the people in the area in West Khasi Hills are totally against the proposed uranium mining project at Phodkylleng-Pyndensohiong in West Khasi Hills district.

SHILLONG: The All-Party Committee on Uranium Mining has recommended formation of three expert groups to study health hazards and radiation effects before making a final recommendation to the State Government on the sensitive issue.

The all-party panel, which met here for the first time on Friday, asked the government to constitute two groups of experts to study the health and environmental impacts of uranium mining in and around Mawthabah, West Khasi Hills.

During its first meeting on Friday, the all-party committee constituted by the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) coalition Government on uranium mining decided to form three groups of experts to study the implications of uranium mining by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) in Kylleng-Pyndeng-Sohiong in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.

So far 68 persons have died in the State of malaria, said Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the State Assembly here today. The Minister, who was replying to questions from Dr Aditya Langthasa (AUDF) and Dr Rumi Nath (BJP), asserted that the number of malaria-related death in the State had come down drastically this year. Till July 18 last year, the disease took a toll of 137 to 138 human lives, he said.

Home to one of the wettest regions in the world, Meghalaya is facing shortage of rainfall this monsoon, along with Gujarat and southern parts of the country.
Though southwest monsoon had covered the entire country by July 10, five days ahead of the average date, southern peninsula, several states in Northeastern India, Gujarat and central Maharashtra have witnessed scanty rainfall. Regions facing scanty rainfall also include North Karnataka, Telengana in Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Lakshadweep.

SHILLONG, July 17: Consensus will determine the Governments decision on the proposed uranium mining in the State, asserted Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy. Ahead of Friday's all party meeting on uranium mining in Shillong, the Chief Minister told mediapersons "Any decision on the complex issue will be bases on consensus'.
Categorically stating that no decision will be imposed on the people of the State, Roy said, "The issue of health hazard will have to be discussed thoroughly before taking any decision'.

SHILLONG

The Meghalaya Government has asked the Centre to take special care for uplift of the health sector in the Northeastern States as the services were far from "satisfactory'. At a meeting recently, Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy apprised Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss of the state of health sector in his State, saying that it was far from satisfactory. Roy requested Ramadoss to give adequate fund to improve the vital sector.

The Meghalaya government today admitted a nexus between school managing committees and distributors of foodgrain which has badly affected implementation of the Mid-day Meal Scheme (MDM). The government made the admission after a review meeting of the scheme in north-eastern states with Central Government officials here. Parliamentary Secretary Mass and Elementary Education Ampareen Lyngdoh told the media that certain managing committees and distributors were in nexus that resulted in distribution of poor quality foodgrain in schools under the scheme.

In an U-turn, the Congress today decided to join the all-party committee on uranium mining in Meghalaya. Earlier, the party had decided not to join the committee formed by Chief Minister Donkupar Roy to arrive at a consensus on whether to allow Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) to go ahead with mining the heavy metal in the state. The decision to join the panel came after the AICC summoned the PCC president O L Nongtdu and Leader of the Opposition D D Lapang to discuss the matter.