PN Syiem not impressed with lifting of ban on coal mining

SHILLONG: The Chairman of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), PN Syiem, has said the state government has not achieved anything with the lifting of ban on coal mining.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, he said that the MMDR Act will be enforced and questioned the benefits that the locals will get.
“Where have we won? We did not fight the case to claim ownership of land but because we want to be free from NGT and from the rules of the Centre,” he said.
“The state will have to follow the provisions of the MMDR Act and there has to be a mining plan and the owner of the mine cannot lease the land without due permission,” Syiem said adding that the mined coal will have to be auctioned by Coal India Limited which does not generate any revenue for the state.
He said that business tycoons will benefit as the small time coal miners do not have the financial strength to approach the Centre to get the mining plan approved.
He said the MMDR Act should be exempted from the state which can come up with its own State Mining Policy which will benefit the average, small time miners and other businessmen.
Syiem said the CEM of KHADC, Teinwell Dkhar, should convene a meeting on the matter as it affects the miners.