SHILLONG: The ban on rat-hole coal mining is yet to be lifted by the National Green Tribunal even after three years but the royalty collected from the extracted coal till date is Rs 460 crore, which has come as a blessing at a time when the State is facing financial crunch.
Besides, the Meghalaya Environmental Restoration Fund collected from mine owners is Rs 330 crore.
The tribunal had banned coal mining in Meghalaya on April 17, 2014, and later, the panel only allowed transportation of the already extracted coal with strict guidelines.
The Supreme Court in an order on September 21 last year allowed transportation of the extracted coal till May 31, 2017.
Apex Court lawyer and state counsel Ranjan Mukherjee said the government hopes to collect another Rs 50 crore in terms of both royalty and the Meghalaya Environmental Restoration Fund.
With this, the State Government will get a total of Rs 840 crore as part of royalty and environment restoration fund.
There are around 3-4 lakh metric tonnes of extracted coal still lying to be transported and the State Government hopes that within 40 days, this will be done.
Mukherjee said the government can make an appeal before the Supreme Court if any coal still remains to be transported.
According to Mukherjee, the status of the case is that the State Government has already submitted mining plan and mining guidelines to the ministries of coal and environment.
Besides, the government had made a plea to the President to exempt Meghalaya from the purview of central mining laws.
The next hearing of the case will be held on April 25.
