Cooperative bodies can be formed by small miners and they can apply collectively for prospecting license or mining lease for undertaking scientific mining in East Jaintia Hills.
This was informed by East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner, Abhilash Baranwal in a statement issued today.
“They (cooperative bodies) can afford to obtain the requisite permission for scientific mining and, thereupon, scientific mining can be conducted by them by adhering to all statutory and environment concerns and parameters,” Baranwal added.
He also said that this will be an avenue of ensuring revenue and livelihood opportunities for those who were previously engaged in coal mining.
On September 12, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had claimed that the final stage of the scientific coal mining plan is being vetted and in a matter of weeks or a month, mining will start legally.
Sangma said that four persons have obtained mining permission from the Centre and their mining plans are awaiting approval.
He also mentioned that few pressure groups are asking the government to review and reduce the required area of the mining plan from 100 hectares to a considerable size in order to allow small miners to get the opportunity to mine coal.
