Khasi Students' Union Urges KHADC to Prevent Uranium Mining in Meghalaya

The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has urged the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to take legal steps to prevent any future uranium mining in Meghalaya, alleging that suspicious land transactions are taking place in Domiasiat and nearby villages. A delegation led by KSU president Raymond Kharjana and general secretary Reuben A. Najiar met KHADC Chief Executive Member Winston Tony Lyngdoh on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum seeking permanent legal protection against uranium mining within the council’s jurisdiction. The organisation alleged that several influential individuals, including prominent political figures from Meghalaya, have been purchasing land in the area at unusually high prices. According to KSU, there are concerns that these properties could eventually be transferred or leased for uranium exploration or mining activities. To prevent that, the student body called for amendments to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Regulation and Administration of Land) Act, 2021, or a separate law under the Sixth Schedule to prohibit the sale, transfer or lease of uranium-bearing land for mining. It also requested the council to direct Dorbar Shnongs and other traditional institutions not to permit officials from the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) and the Geological Survey of India to enter the area. KSU further asked the council to pass a resolution opposing uranium mining and, if required, convene a special session before October to discuss the issue. Kharjana said the KHADC, as the custodian of tribal land under the Sixth Schedule, has a constitutional responsibility to safeguard indigenous land, natural resources and the interests of the Khasi people. The organisation said it would continue monitoring developments while expecting both the KHADC and the Meghalaya government to ensure that tribal land remains protected from any move towards uranium mining. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma dismissed suggestions that the state government was reviving uranium mining. Responding to the allegations on Thursday, he said the government would examine any information relating to reported land transactions or official visits connected to Domiasiat. Sangma maintained that the government’s position on uranium mining has remained unchanged and that every proposal placed before it in the past had been rejected. He also said no official information regarding the alleged movement of government officials had reached him, but assured that any credible inputs would be verified and appropriate action taken.