Shillong, Aug 22: The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) will shift its office to the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) complex at Nongmensong here.

Earlier there was a move to shift the office to Jharkhand and take all office’s furniture and vehicles there. But the staff of Shillong office of the UCIL decided not to allow shifting until and unless the management gives a written assurance that their jobs are guaranteed.

A meeting between the Corporation’s Superintendent of Geology, Sunfriday Kharlyngdoh and the staff of Shillong office was also held here on Wednesday.

UCIL Additional Superintendent (Geology) Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah (KPM) Project, Dr C Sreedhar Babu said that the UCIL at present would not shut down its unit, but will only shift its office to the AMD complex.

“If at all the unit has to be closed down, such order should come from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) since the UCIL is a public sector undertaking (PSU) under the department (for uranium mining and uranium processing),” he said.

Verbally, it was told that the staff would also continue (to work) as usual.

The UCIL is having a total number of 10 staff appointed on contractual basis. While six are serving in the UCIL office located at Lower New Colony, Laitumkhrah, four others are working in the corporation’s guest house at Wahkaji in South West Khasi Hills District.

The staff also decided not to allow shifting of the office from Laitumkhrah to the AMD complex due to the apprehension that the UCIL would downsize the number of existing staff.

CSR assistant, John Teibor Lyngdoh Sangriang said that it would difficult for the staff to apply for new jobs if they are removed by the UCIL since most of them are already overaged after serving for the corporation for more than 10 to 15 years.

Dr Sreedhar said since the space at the AMD cannot accommodate all existing furniture, the management wanted to take the remaining furniture and vehicles to Jharkhand.

A letter from the AMD informing about the decision to provide office-cum-residential accommodation for the UCIL at AMD complex on August 21, has clearly instructed the UCIL to maintain as “minimum officials” as possible.

“As the available space is small, UCIL is requested to maintain as minimum officials as possible,” Dr SN Chaturvedi Head, Planning and Management Services Group in AMD Hyderabad Dr AK Sarangi said in the letter to the UCIL general manager (CP), Jaduguda.

On August 1, the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) had announced its plan to withdraw its research operations in uranium-rich deposits of South West Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya.