Decision on environment fund on May 14

NGT hearing on MCTOOA plea
SHILLONG: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) will give its verdict on the petition of the Commercial Truck Owners and Operators Association (MCTOOA) against payment towards Meghalaya Environment Protection Fund on May 14.
The hearing of the petition seeking revocation of the tribunal order directing coal miners in Meghalaya to pay environment fund besides royalty, took place on Thursday at New Delhi.
The petition was filed after the NGT directed all the coal miners to pay an additional amount of Rs 485 per metric ton (MT) of coal besides the royalty that was paid while transporting the extracted coal from the state.
Informing this here on Thursday, the MCTOOA president Augustine Shanpru said, “If needed be the environment fund can be paid from the royalty paid for coal transportation.” The coal transporters are paying Rs 675 per MT of coal as royalty.
The notification of the Government of India Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue (Tax Research Unit) issued on June 24, 2010  had stated – “In the State of Meghalaya, coal is mined under traditional and customary rights vested on the local tribes. The mines operated by these tribes are not subjected to the provisions of laws that regulate the operation of coal mines. As such, full exemption from Clean Energy Cess is being provided to coal produced in the state of Meghalaya under such rights.”
So far, the NGT has held three hearings on the petition.