SHILLONG: The State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to table a resolution on mining in Meghalaya during the ongoing Autumn Session of the Assembly to mandate the government to take up with the Centre exclusion of certain provisions of Central Mines Acts.
Informing this here on Wednesday, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said that the Cabinet has decided to table a Government Resolution after examining the proposal of the Mining and Geology department. “Since the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015 has come into force there is need for few sections and other sub sections of the relevant amended act to be taken into consideration by the State Government for taking up with the Union Government for rescinding those particular provisions,” the Chief Minister informed.
“We will take up with the Centre the rescinding of those particular provisions of the law in as far as its operations in the scheduled areas of Meghalaya is concerned,” he said.
According to the Chief Minister, the amended Act has also made provisions for allocation of coal mines through e-auctions and a bidding process.
“This particular provision cannot be enforced in the State. It is for this reason we are moving this resolution to invoke upon the Union Government to exempt the application of such provision in the scheduled areas of the State,” he said.
“The State Government had in 2014 taken up with the Centre the invoking of Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution with regards to application of the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973 and Coal Bearing Areas Acquisition & Development Act, 1957 in private areas of the State,” Sangma said.According to him, as a response to the request of the State Government, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had notified a committee with the Cabinet Secretary as the chairman and also Chief Secretary and secretaries of other line Ministries as members to examine the request made by the State.
“Our engagement with the Union Government is still continuing and the relevant provisions of these Acts are being taken up by the State Government to ensure that their application in Meghalaya is rescinded through a Presidential notification. We hope that the House will consider it when we table it in the Assembly” the Chief Minister added.
When asked if the State Government is ready with the mining plan with the final deadline given by the NGT alls set to end on September 29, the Chief Minister said that officials from the concerned department have informed that the mining plan is almost ready and should satisfy the NGT.
