Coal forum fumes at Centre’s attitude in SC

NEW DELHI: The Meghalaya State Co-ordination Committee of Coal Owners, Miners, Exporters, Transporters & Dealer’s Forum has blamed the Centre for its “lackadaisical” attitude in the Supreme Court which is hearing the coal ban issue.
The Forum’s charge comes close on the heels of former Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma and Shillong MP Vincent H Pala pulling up the ruling BJP on the issue of ban on coal mining in the state.
The Forum is contemplating to file an appropriate proceeding against the Union government if its counsel comes to court with the usual excuses, a statement issued by Forum chairman Sonny Khyriem, said. The Forum in a meeting held last Saturday resolved to denounce the “lackadaisical” attitude of the Centre in not taking a decision with regard to the coal mining fiasco.
Sangma, who is contesting from Tura Lok Sabha seat, said the governments at the Centre and in the state were lying about coal mining in Meghalaya. All through the years illegal coal mining was going in the state despite the ban by NGT, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court, he said.
Pala, who is trying his luck for a third consecutive term in Lok Sabha, alleged that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre did not do anything for coal mining despite several assurances. The Congress has raised the matter several times in Parliament asking to lift the ban and go for scientific regulated mining.
Khyriem said that the Centre had assured the Supreme Court in May last year that in all likelihood a final assessment of the coal mining crisis will be submitted within three months. But last month, when the case came up for hearing, it attended the court only for attendance’s sake, much to the court’s dismay, he said.
It did not make any submission and rather blamed the state government. But the counsels for the Forum and the state government instantly spelt out that the mining plans with proposals were long submitted to the Centre, the statement said.
The Supreme Court then directed the Union government to come out with a final decision within a month’s time.