JOWAI: A public meeting held at Dkhiah West in East Jaintia Hills organised by the Jaintia Coal Miners’ and Dealers’ Association (JCMDA) jointly with the Meghalaya State Coordination Committee of Coal Owners, Miners, Dealers and Coal Transporters Forum on Wednesday demanded of the state government to utilise the Meghalaya Restoration and Protection Fund for Environment.
“We are blamed for environment destruction and the government has collected more than Rs 5 crores from us, where is this money? Why has the government not done anything to restore and protect the environment?”, the Forum leader, Sonny Khyriem, said while asking why the money was kept in the bank and not utilised.
Khyriem also said that the hurdle between state and central government in submitting all necessary documents to the NGT and to the apex court is one of the main challenges faced by the Forum in dealing with lifting of the ban on coal mining in the state.
According to Khyriem, the apex court has allowed transportation of the 1.67 lakh metric tonnes of already extracted coal in the state, “but in whose name the coal transit challans would be issued”.
“The court passed an order on December 4 while the state government issued a notification on December 10 and the challans were issued only after 10 days… there were Christmas and New Year holidays, we are not going to meet the deadline for transportation of the 1.67 lakh metric tonnes of the extracted coal”, the Forum leader said.
The Forum will again appeal to the Supreme Court for extension of the deadline. The public meeting was attended by hundreds of coal traders, mines owners and also by women folk who are depending on coal related activities for their livelihood.
Former JHADC CEM, Hambertus Nongtdu, and former Khliehriat MLA, Justine Dkhar, also spoke besides the president of the Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong and the Dollois of Sutnga and Rymbai Elaka.
“If the Supreme Court fails to pass an order in our favour on January 15, we will again convene another public rally to chalk out our further course of action”, JCDMA President, Balios Swer, said.
