Jaintia Students’ Movement demands closure of cement & coke plants due to COVID-19 threat

A Reporter

SHILLONG: Alarmed with the outbreak of COVID-19 globally, the Jaintia Students’ Movement (JSM) Eastern Region has called for the immediate closure of both cement and coke plants in East Jaintia Hills from Friday till the end of March, as a preventive measure against the dreaded virus. In a letter to the Health Minister, Government of Meghalaya, through the Deputy Commissioner East Jaintia Hills district, the JSM pointed out that the State Government has closed down all educational institutions in the State to combat any outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19 till March 31, 2020, besides closing down all tourist spots and also canceled or postponed all fetes, meeting, conference, events, etc., where there will be large gathering as preventive measures.

The JSM informed that there are 16 types of cement plants and several coke plants in East Jaintia Hills district which employe hundreds of staff and workers including migrant workers.

They also observed that since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the world and India, these migrant workers still continue to visit their respective home town and return to the cement plants and coke plants without any proper medical screening. These migrant workers work together with local workers in the cement plants/coke plants, they added.

In order to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 and in the greater interest of the people of East Jaintia Hills district and the State as a whole, the JSM demanded that the Health Minister orders the cement plants to conduct health screening of all the staff and workers at their own expense but under the supervision of the district administration to detect any suspected case of COVID-19.

“Close down all cement plants and coke plants from March 20 to 31, and also to order the cement plants not to deduct the salary/wages of the staff/workers or the leaves during the closure period,” stated the letter.

The Jaintia Students Movement will be compelled to close down all cement plants on its own on March 20 if the Meghalaya Government fails to issue the closure.

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