CM deplores loss due to NGT ban

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has deplored that the states like Meghalaya which have large forest covers have to face the burden of implementing the compliance regimes imposed by the orders of courts and tribunals.
Addressing the conclave of Himalayan states at Mussoorie on Sunday, Sangma said delivering ecosystem services have to face a huge development disability given the strict regulatory regime around usage of forest land for development.
Meghalaya has been particularly suffering this double loss through the 14th Finance Commission period, given the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban on coal mining in the State from 2014, which resulted in an estimated revenue loss of about Rs. 4000 crore in the last five years.
“We have not been compensated for this loss by the 14th Finance Commission either through the revenue gap grant route or through increased weightage for eco-system services in the devolution formula”, Sangma said, adding that the state appreciates the 14th Finance Commission giving a weightage of 7.5 percent for forest cover in the horizontal devolution formula, but this weightage should be substantially increased now.
He said severe financial stress is being faced by Meghalaya, owing to the revenue shocks the state faced in the last few years in the form of ban on coal mining and the inadequate revenue gap grant that was allotted.