JOWAI: The State Co-ordination Committee of Coal Owners’, Miners’ and Dealers’ Forum (SCCCOMDF) which has constituted units all over the State with representatives from Jaintia Hills, Garo Hills, South West and West Khasi Hills held its executive committee meeting here on Thursday under the Chairmanship of S.L. Khyriem.
The Executive Committee, among other issues, discussed the memorandum submitted by the Forum to the office of the Prime Minister in New Delhi which has been duly acknowledged by the PMO and signed personally by the Prime Minister himself through the local MP Vincent H Pala.
The Forum extended its support to Pala for his initiative to table a motion in the Parliament on the NGT matter concerning the coal mining for the interest of lakhs of people affected by the ban imposed by NGT.
The Forum also appreciated the effort of Pala for not only moving a motion in the Parliament for the interest of the miners but also for taking up a bill to include Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule for the interest of the Hynniewtrep people.
The Forum has also filed an RTI seeking information from the NEHU on the qualification of Prof. O.P. Singh (Head of Department in Environmental Studies). The NGT order had quoted the findings of Singh.
The Forum also elected four vice chairpersons – J.C. Diengngan (South West Khasi Hills), Philip Pala (East Jaintia Hills), S.R. Marak (South East Garo Hills) and James Sohbar (West Khasi Hills).
