Coal body asks Govt to submit mining plan to NGT

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners and Operators Association has asked the State government to submit the mining policy and plan to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) at the earliest.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, president of the Association Augustine Shanpru said that the NGT in its order passed on December 14 had stated that the State government had not submitted the mining policy and plan till date.
On behalf of the members, who are regular transporters of coal and other minerals from the State, Shanpru appealed to the State government to submit the mining policy and plan within two weeks from December 14 as stipulated by the NGT. “The NGT had indicated that if the State government submits the mining policy and plan within the time frame, then upon subsequent passage of proper order by Ministry of Environment and Forest, it will consider whether to allow the coal mining or not,” Shanpru said .
According to Shanpru, the State government is banking on the special status of Meghalaya and non- applicability of Central rules and acts in the State. “However, this submission was not considered by the NGT and instead the State has been asked to speed up the matter in the general interest of all miners in the State,” he said.
Shanpru added that if the government follows up the matter earnestly by way of submission of mining plan, the ban on coal mining may be lifted before April 2017.