Shillong, Sep 24: Pynthorumkhrah MLA Alexander Laloo Hek on Wednesday said the groundwork for scientific coal mining in Meghalaya was laid well before the NPP came to power, even before the party was born, and rejected NPP’s claim of bringing scientific mining to the state.
Hek said a government delegation had travelled to the USA in 2008 to study scientific mining and how it could be adopted in Meghalaya.
“We have been taking initiative since 2008,” Hek said, recalling that he was PHE Minister at the time while former Mining Minister Donkupar Massar, former Urban Affairs Minister Paul Lyngdoh and former Health Minister Adviser Pariong were part of the delegation.
According to him, the delegation studied practices including mandatory land reclamation after mining. “One beautiful thing which I liked was that after you have done the mining, there is a mandatory requirement to do reclamation. You have to reclaim the land which you have already dug and mined,” he said.
“It would be wrong for the NPP to clearly say that they are the ones who have brought in scientific mining,” he added.
His remarks came in response to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s statement that his government is working to resolve coal mining issues.
Sangma had said his focus is on finding solutions, not limelight. “For me, it is more important to find a solution to the problem. If a solution can be resolved, that’s what gives me the most happiness and satisfaction,” he said.
The CM recalled that his government fought the matter in the Supreme Court which lifted the ban in 2019 subject to scientific mining and compliance with the MMDR Act. He said four mines are currently functional but challenges relating to safety, environment and viability remain.
“We have moved forward, yes. Have we been able to resolve all the issues concerning all the miners? Maybe not yet,” Sangma said, adding the government is working on scientific and technical aspects related to the safety of miners and the environment.
Rat-hole mining was predominant in the state until the NGT banned it in 2014.
