PASIGHAT, 28 Jun: The East Siang Youth Association (ESYA) has lodged a complaint against the stone crusher units being operated by non-APSTs in Mebo area of East Siang district, citing “violation of the norms and stealing the earning avenues of local entrepreneurs.”
In a complaint letter to the geology & mining secretary, the ESYA on Tuesday alleged that “stone crusher units named M/s Balaji Minerals and M/s RKC Infrastructure were set up without NOC and pollution clearance.”
The association also demanded punitive action against the owners of the stone crusher units for violating the Arunachal Pradesh Stone Crusher Guidelines, 2012.
It further demanded “complete removal of M/s ATW Stone Crusher, which is said to have obtained NOC from the concerned department and ready to start its activities anytime,” claiming that “this unit is also direct threat to the existence of local entrepreneurs.”
“There are already six stone crusher units being owned and operated by local people and they are very much in position to feed the needs of the government’s infrastructure projects as well as the needs of the private parties in the entire Siang belt and even up to Assam,” the association said.
It added that the spirit of the Inner Line Regulation Act, 1873, was being effectively defeated in the present scenario, “as the protection for local people within inner line against exploitation is being clearly overlooked.”
Copies of the complaint letter were also submitted to the geology & mining director and the state pollution control board.
