The state government has announced a decision to form a committee to address the problems of stone quarry and stone crusher units – their owners and employees – arising out of the implementation of the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules (MMMCR) 2016.
This decision was arrived at during the meeting between the government led by Chief Secretary and Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Stone Crushers Owners’ Association, Quarry Owners’ and Workers’ Association.
The JAC will have around 10-12 members in the committee apart from officials of the state government to look into ways and means to make the rules flexible for the benefit of the small quarry owners.
Court rulings and prevailing laws related to mining and environmental clearance are the reasons for strictures on small-scale mining of sand, boulders, or other minor minerals in Meghalaya.
As of today, no exemptions could be granted for small-scale mining of sand, stones, or other minor minerals from laws and rules governing mining lease based on prior environmental clearance.
According to JAC general secretary D Pyngrope, it was due to the decision of the JAC to halt stone and sand mining at a meeting on August 19 that the government took notice and came forward to address their problems.
Meanwhile, another member of the JAC, Mawkordor Kharsyiemlieh, said that what the stakeholders felt during the meeting is that the government is in a mood to speed up the process to address the problems of the stakeholders.
“During the meeting they assured us that the issue will be resolved in a matter of months to ease our problems,” he said.
Syiemlieh said that the committee should discuss the issue of local use of stones and sand.
“The government should make such rules wherein we can mine these minerals for local use,” he said.
Syiemlieh said that the JAC will not allow issuance of transport challans, since the minerals are being used within districts of the state.
