The coal industry has suffered an image problem after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned rat-hole mining in the state in 2014, with the public suspicious every time they see a coal truck, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said in the Assembly today.
“It has been providing livelihoods to the people of the state for centuries but, after the NGT banned coal mining, it suddenly became illegal,” Sangma said in his reply to the debate on the Governor’s address. He added that the movement of coal is done according to the law and with proper paperwork and has earned the state Rs 70 crore.
The CM defended his government’s record on coal, saying, “We were committed to lifting the NGT ban and within one year and three months we were able to lift it. Coal mining is no longer banned. The Supreme Court has lifted the ban.”
In a first, the central government has also given its approval to the Meghalaya government to issue mining leases to private miners.
“It is for the first time in India that mining leases were auctioned by the government of India and with SOP (standard operating procedures) finalised, private mines can be leased out,” he informed the Assembly.
Twenty people have so far applied for prospecting licences.
Sangma informed the house that the process to auction extracted coal in the state has begun.
The CM informed that the first tranche of 54,000 tonnes in East Jaintia Hills has been put up for auction in the last few days.
“The auction is in an advanced stage and the bidding process will continue for the next 14 days,” he said, adding that the next tranche will be of 9,000 tonnes from South Garo Hills.
