India: The Joint Action Committee of the Meghalaya People's United Front (MPUF) and Jaintia National Union (JNU) have demanded that cement plants in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya should ensure that 60% of their work force comprise locals.

"We have demanded that the cement plants should ensure that 60% of jobs be guaranteed to local people. This is based on the agreement signed by them with all concerned," said MPUF's President D Wanmi Laloo. He alleged that the agreements have not been adhered to because not even 20% of those employed are locals, despite the increase in unemployment in the state. Laloo said that the non-governmental organisations (NGO) have already served a one-month deadline for eight cement companies to meet the demand.

Laloo also said that the NGOs would soon conduct an inspection of all the cement plants and seek proper information as to how many local people are employed in different job roles. Demanding proper advertisements to be issued by the companies regarding job vacancies, Laloo said that preference should be given to locals to fill posts, which include technical, electrical, mechanical and labour positions. Laloo has also demanded that companies source their raw materials from local sources and that the cement companies lower the price of their finished products by 30% in the state. "As of now, the price of cement that is being sold here and supplied to other states like Assam and West Bengal, is the same," said Laloo. "This is not acceptable considering the fact that they are depending on the state for raw materials."

Laloo opined that the cement companies are responsible for degradation of the environment and used the pollution of the Lukha River as an example. He said that the NGOs would be compelled to demand the state government shut down the cement plants if they prove to be of no benefit to the locals. "The frequent change of colour of the Lukha River has led us to strongly suspect that this is due to the pollutants released from the cement plants," said Laloo. "Though reports have pointed out coal mining as the reason, the question that arises is why this change in colour has occurred again despite the ban on coal mining for the past year."