Shillong, Dec 10: Chairman of Mawmluh Cherra Cement Limited (MCCL), Wailadmiki Shylla said that an investment of Rs 180 crores will be needed by the government to revive the MCCL which is known as the rice bowl of the people of Mawmluh and Sohra.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said that given the financial situation in the state and the country as a whole, the government is unable to invest Rs 180 crores.

Asked, whether the government will go for total closure if the stakeholders stick to their demand for a government-run cement plant, Shylla expressed the government’s inability to invest Rs 180 crores.

He said, “We the government has tried everything and at last we have nothing as Rs 180 crores art this point of time ….. not affecting our state but the entire world”.

It was realized that an investment of Rs 180 crores was needed after the plant was surveyed by the Industries department to understand the shortcomings and problems in the plant.

“After the survey, it was then realized that there will be a heavy investment. To make it profitable and to ensure it runs smoothly, we need Rs 180 crores”, he said.

He informed that the government has pumped Rs 324 crore to make the plant functional from 2006 till 2020 ever since the expansion to the dry process.

There were a lot of hurdles faced by the cement plant after it switched over to the dry process and the production crippled. He said that the plant should have produced 15000 MT monthly of cement after switching to the dry process but it cannot even produce 1000 MT.

Shylla said that the government had to unwillingly arrive at the decision of a joint venture and he stressed that it is a joint venture and not privatization.

“About the joint venture, it is not an easy decision to make and at this point of time, from where will the government get Rs 180 crore”, he said.

But the twist in the MCCL tale is that the stakeholders of the cement plant-the Hima Sohra and the Hima Mawmluh do not want a joint venture but want the government to operate the plant.

On the other hand, Shylla has called the stakeholders to come forward and think over the decision over going for a joint venture as there is no positive response from them.

“I request the stakeholders to think it over as there are companies that have been successful after the joint venture”, he said.

Shylla said that there are three options before the government, firstly is for the government to invest Rs 180 crore, secondly is to opt for joint venture and thirdly is to move for total closure.

MCCL employees’ union call off the protest.

The Mawmluh Cherra Cement Employees’ Union have called off the indefinite hunger strike

Shylla said that he has called the union for talks and requested them to call off the indefinite hunger strike as Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has assured them of financial assistance to be released sometime in the month of December.

“There have been talks to call off the protest as the government assured that their interest will be taken care of. I told them that the government is responsive”, he said.