New Delhi: The ongoing conflict between the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and coal miners/traders has taken a new turn with the Shillong MP Vincent H Pala moving two Bills in Lok Sabha where he sought to bring coal belts under the purview of the State government or Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).
The first Bill, titled the National Green Tribunal (Amendment) bill, 2014 says that the NGT should have no jurisdiction over cases where economic welfare and security of the citizens are concerned. The tribunal cannot also take up matters which gravely affect the common men by denying them employment or opportunity to earn livelihood.
Through the second Bill titled, the Mines and Minerals (development and regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2014, Pala sought exemption the coal mining areas in the Sixth Schedule areas from the Centre’s jurisdiction.
While the Bill on NGT has already been circulated by the Lok Sabha secretariat, the second Bill on mines and minerals is yet to be circulated. After the submission and circulation the private members’ bills, if listed, will go for further introduction and debate.
Pala, a former Union Minister, claimed that owing to the NGT’s blanket ban on rat-hole coal mining in the name of environment protection, scores of labourers in Meghalaya were forced to abandon their children or even sell them.
Meanwhile, four truckers have been arrested by the Meghalaya police for transporting coal in violation of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order.