Indicating that the Centre was putting pressure on the state to initiate the project, Lapang said, the state MLAs did not object the pre-developmental works proposed to be carried out by the UCIL in the uranium rich areas.
"The legislators have, however, told the government to be cautious about the health and environment aspect," he said while replying to the private members motion tabled by Independent Manas Chaudhuri.
"We would like to accommodate suggestions from public representatives and public," he said adding "The Centre wants the state government to start the project. It is very difficult for the state government to say no to the request of the Centre, as the state is dependant on it for all-round development," he said.
Giving in to pressure from various agitating organizations led by the Khasi Students Union, Meghalaya government had last month put on hold the UCIL’s pre-mining developmental works in the uranium-rich areas of the state, two months after it had given the go-ahead to the corporation.
The government has formed a committee to look into the apprehensions expressed by the organizations.