SHILLONG: The State Co-ordination Committee of Coal Owners, Miners and Dealers Forum has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court following the National Green Tribunal’s August 31 order on coal mining.
In a statement to the media released on Tuesday, the forum said it was aggrieved by NGT’s perpetual ban despite numerous pleas.
The forum said it had earlier told the tribunal that the ban had created “chaos” among miners whose livelihood depended solely on mining activities.
“The blanket ban failed to consider the social and economic impact,” it said.
While disposing of the case related to the ban on rat-hole coal mining, the August 31 order of the NGT said the ban on rat-hole mining will continue, subject to further orders of the Supreme Court.
The forum has also filed an RTI application on September 14 to the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking information on the latest status of the submission seeking Presidential Notification for exempting scheduled areas in Meghalaya from the Central Mining Laws.
“The Forum continues to plead that the ethnic people are geared up to adapt themselves to the new scientific and safe mining methods, which would balance the protection of their livelihoods and water pollutions, they are also prepared for a sustainable development,” the statement read.
