Limestone mine owners and exporters in Meghalaya are now in a fix over the recent judgement passed by the Meghalaya High Court banning export of limestone to Bangladesh.
Concerned over the economic impact of the export ban, a social worker from the State, Evalyni Kharbani has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting for an amendment of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act, 1957.
Referring to the judgement passed by the Meghalaya High Court on November 24, 2022 which led to the banning of export of limestone from Meghalaya to Bangladesh, Kharbani also said that the limestone export ban has severely affected the local people of the State “who have obtained the mining license from the State government after following all due process of law”.
“After the ban on export of limestone, the licensees, all of whom being indigenous tribal people of the State, have been put in great financial difficulties,” Kharbani said.
She also said that export of limestone from Meghalaya to Bangladesh has been carried out for the last 50 years after obtaining all the requisite permission for the same.
“In as far as limestone in Meghalaya is concerned, the Government of Meghalaya has issued mining license under the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules, 2016 to various indigenous tribal people of the State to enable them to earn their livelihood and to generate employment to local people of the State through mining and export. The mining licenses are issued after following all due process of law. As the land belongs to the indigenous tribal people of the State, no other person can apply for the same except the indigenous tribal people of Meghalaya. On receipt of the mining lease, the licensee would carry out mining activities as per the terms and conditions as provided in the mining lease under the strict observations of the State government,” Kharbani said in the letter to Modi.
She also urged the Prime Minister to take necessary steps for amendment of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act, 1957 “for removal of any end-use restrictions and allow export of limestone with the license being obtained as and under minor minerals”.
Kharbani also said that such an amendment of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act 1957 would resolve the problem faced by indigenous tribal people of Meghalaya and enable them to earn and sustain their livelihood through export of limestone as well as create employment to other local people.
