SHILLONG, Dec 10 ? Lafarge, the international cement giant has invested $ 25 million for mining limestone at Shella, East Khasi Hills district of Meghlaya for export to Bangladesh.
The French company would set up a $ 247 million cement plant in Bangladesh?s Chatak area after extracting limestone from the Shella-Nongtrai area, director of the Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt. Ltd (LUMPL) Yong Ngai Chan said at function to inaugurate a community health-care centre set up by the company at Shella on Saturday.
The project, initiated by the Governments of India and Bangladesh in 1993, would be implemented over a period of 35 years, Chan said, adding, this would bring in much wanted foreign exchange into India. Stating that Lafarge was adhering to all rules and regulations of the country, the director said the company, known for its ethics, was committed to sustainable development and environmental protection of the Shella-Nongtrai area. He assured that the company would ensure safe quarrying of limestone with state-of-the-art technology saying,?Our aim is to leave the place in a much better condition.?
A 17-km (seven km in Meghalaya and ten km in Bangladesh) conveyor belt would be constructed to transport the limestone from the mines in Meghalaya to Bangladesh. A crushing unit would also be set up at Shella, Chan told reporters. Work for developing the mines is already underway and mining operations are expected to begin from the middle of the coming year.
Earlier, inaugurating the health centre, Meghalaya?s deputy Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy said this was the first global venture in the State. He expressed hope that Meghalaya would be able to attract foreign investments from other agencies also for the economic uplift of the State in this era of globalization.
Sharply criticising certain NGOs protesting Lafarge?s move to acquire land for mining of limestone from the tribal people, the Deputy Chief Minister, who is also the MLA from Shella said the State would earn annual revenue of Rs. 8 crore from the project. Out of this, 60 per cent would be given to the district council with the State retaining the rest, he informed.
Observing that the tribal people of Shella were one of the richest in the pre-partition days when they traded with the plains of present Bangladesh, Roy said with the implementation of the Lafarge project, the people stood to regain their economic strength. The border residents were reduced to abject poverty with the total closure of international trade with the partition of the country.