Meghalaya fined Rs 50,000 for delay in implementation of State Mining policy
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In a major embarrassment for the State Government which is yet to approve the much awaited mining policy in the state, the Division bench of the Gauhati High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the State Government for failing to put in place a Mining Policy despite the Supreme Court directive dating a few years.
The PIL filed by four people was brought before the division bench of the Gauhati High Court on Monday and the court expressed its dissatisfaction with the tardy progress of the State Government on the policy.
The lawyer for the plaintiffs, Dipankar Bora said on Wednesday that the Additional Advocate General of Meghalaya BP Tody could not satisfy the court on the steps taken by the Meghalaya Government to put together the Minerals and Mining policy.
It may be mentioned that the State Cabinet earlier this month deferred the finalisation of the much-awaited policy saying that certain legal aspects need to be incorporated in it.
Although an exhaustive presentation was made in the Cabinet regarding the mining policy but the State Cabinet felt that there was a need to incorporate certain regulations and legal point of views in the proposed mining policy.
The PIL filed against the State Government sought for a mining policy that would regulate the entire mining practices in Meghalaya.
According to Bora, the Court had also issued directives to the State Government to frame the rules and regulations for mining policy in the State.
It is learnt that the Department has already incorporated the views and suggestions of the concerned stakeholders in the final draft of the Mining Policy.
“As far as I know this is the highest penalty which has been imposed on any State by the court,” Bora added.
The final draft of the policy was scheduled to be submitted to the State Government in July last year but due to opposition from coal and limestone miners of the State under the umbrella of the Joint Forum on Mining Policy (Coal and Limestone), the submission had been delayed.
Sources had however hinted that with the State Assembly elections due in February next year the government wants to go slow on this issue since any decision at this juncture might antagonize the mine owners who are also the major funding agents for political parties across the board.
Meanwhile Mining and Geology Minister BM Lanong when contacted said he was not aware of the Court ruling and was hearing it for the first time from this scribe.