On today’s 13th August 2026, The Jaiñtia National Council (JNC), Central Executive Committee, today submitted an urgent Memorandum to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, seeking immediate government intervention into the proposed 217.394-hectare Lum Syrman Limestone Project of M/s Shree Cement Limited in East Jaiñtia Hills.
Led by its Central Executive Committee General Secretary Shri Wanshwa Suting, the JNC has placed before the State Government serious concerns over the rights of landholders and farmers of “Sutnga and Nongkhlieh Elakas”, particularly those whose customary, possession, cultivation and user rights are connected with the Lum Syrman area. The organisation has demanded that these rights must be “protected and preserved before any further irreversible step is allowed in favour of the proposed mining project”.
The JNC has maintained that the land question cannot simply be treated as an environmental or industrial clearance matter. The affected landholders have asserted lawful and customary rights over portions of Lum Syrman and have raised concerns regarding the absence of valid consent or lawful arrangements relating to the proposed project. The organisation has therefore demanded a “time-bound and transparent verification of revenue, registration, customary, possession, cultivation and other official records”.
Equally important, the JNC has strongly raised the issue of the “farmers who have been cultivating and depending upon Lum Syrman for decades”. Their agricultural land, cultivation and livelihood cannot be brushed aside in the name of mineral development. The organisation has demanded protection of their existing access and cultivation rights and has called for a proper assessment of the livelihood consequences. Where any affected farmer or landholder is lawfully deprived of land or livelihood, the JNC maintains that “fair and lawful compensation for the resulting loss” must be ensured, subject to determination of the respective legal and customary rights.
Speaking on the issue, JNC General Secretary Shri Wanshwa Suting said “It seems that the State Government is favouring these cement companies to do their things, even to the extent of blocking residents from attending the public hearing held on 31 July. If the Government is confident that everything has been done fairly and transparently, then why should ordinary residents and affected landholders face obstacles in exercising their right to participate?”
The JNC has further demanded a complete examination of the 31 July 2026 public hearing**, including attendance and participation records, objections, complaints, proceedings and the complete videographic record. The organisation has questioned whether the hearing genuinely achieved meaningful and transparent public participation and has sought a **fresh public consultation if material procedural deficiencies are established.
The JNC has also made it clear that **no irreversible administrative consequence should arise while the disputed questions of land rights, consent, possession, cultivation and public participation remain unexamined.
The organisation has given the State Government “10 days from receipt of the Memorandum” to accord priority consideration and initiate appropriate administrative action. If no substantive response or action follows within the stipulated period, the JNC has warned that it will be compelled to undertake “further peaceful, lawful and constitutional democratic action, including mass mobilisation and other forms of public agitation”, until the concerns of the affected people receive substantive consideration.
“This is not a fight against development. This is a fight for justice, transparency and the rights of the people whose land and livelihood are at stake. Development cannot mean dispossession, and public consultation cannot become a mere formality. The landowners and farmers of Sutnga and Nongkhlieh deserve to be heard, their rights verified and their legitimate interests protected,” Shri Suting stated.
The JNC reiterated that it will continue to pursue the matter through “lawful, democratic and constitutional means and will stand with the affected landholders and farming communities of Lum Syrman until their legitimate concerns are properly addressed.