Gauhati High Court flags ecological concerns over Assam government’s land allotment to cement firm in Dima Hasao

Guwahati: The Gauhati High court on Wednesday observed that the government in its submission has not addressed the issue of ecology and environment in Umrangso in Dima Hasao district.Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi of the Gauhati High court made the observation on Wednesday while hearing the government’s affidavit on the issue.

Assam Advocate General submitted a report to the court justifying the government’s action behind handing over 3000 bighas of land to the cement company, Justice Medhi said that the report does not address the environment and ecological concern expressed by the court earlier.

“You have mentioned that the area of land is uninhabited. That means it is a biodiversity hotspot, it has hit springs and there are migratory birds. Where would they go?” said Justice Medhi.

Saikia said that the project is at the possession stage now and that the stage for assessing environment clearance has not come yet. “The committee has no expertise to comment on the environmental aspects. It will be given by the Ministry of Environment and Forests once the land is handed over to the company. That stage has not come yet,” Saikia informed the court.

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The Advocate General also clarified that the land will not be sold to the company but only leased out to the company for Rs. 2 lakhs per bigha and a sum of Rs.250 per bigha annually.The court later asked the counsel for the petitioner to file a rejoinder affidavit within three weeks’ time.Recently the Gauhati High Court asked how a cement company can purchase 3,000 bighas of land in the Dima Hasao district of Assam while hearing a writ petition by 22 residents of the area.

The counsel for the NC Hills Autonomous Council who has jurisdiction of the land on Monday produced a few papers related to the allotment of 3,000 bighas of land to a cement factory in Dima Hasao, but the Gauhati High Court directed it to produce the entire file which contained the decision to allot the “huge chunk” of the land in a Sixth Schedule area to the private firm.

“The counsel for the NCHAC produced some papers. The objective of the last order was not to look at a few papers, but to look at the file which contains the decision to allot the huge chunk of land,”Justice Medhi said, directing the council to produce the file at the next hearing.

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