NEW DELHI: Shillong MP Vincent H Pala has denied that he had demanded legalisation of rat-hole mining in Meghalaya and clarified on Friday that he only meant to “regulate” such mining activities in the hill state.
The MP attributed the word used in his adjournment motion to wrong printing of the word “regularise” instead of regulate. “This was a typo,” he told media persons in Parliament when asked to clarify his stand.
Pala is leaving for Shillong tomorrow and from there he will go to the mine mishap site. “I could not visit the site earlier since Parliament was in session and there was a whip from the party in view of some important legislations in the house”, he said.
Parliament was adjourned for the day for the weekend break. Pala will be back in the national capital after the daylong visit.
Pala also dismissed reports that he mentioned the place of mine mishap as Mizoram in his motion. “Neither in my motion nor in my speech had I ever mentioned Mizoram,” he said waving a copy of his motion.
The MP also cross-checked the record of his speech and found mention of Meghalaya not Mizoram. “I am born and brought up in the state of Meghalaya, how can I mispronounce my state’s name,” he quipped.
Pala first gave a notice in the form of an adjournment motion which was not allowed. But the Shillong MP was asked to speak on the critical issue which was noted, at the instance of the Speaker during zero Hour.
“It must be noted that people have been indulging in this sort of unregulated mining in the hope that it will be regulated soon as was promised by the BJP in its manifesto,” Pala said.
“I urge the government to regulate rat-hole mining as promised to avoid such accidents in future,” the MP added.
