SHILLONG, Feb 1: The Meghalaya government has directed the Mining and Geology department to start the auctioning process of the 2 lakh metric tonnes of coal.
“I am sure we will be able to start the auction process within a few weeks’ time,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters here on Monday.
He said that the government would need to furnish all the necessary papers for auctioning the coal before the committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Tynsong said the state government will go ahead with the open auctioning of the coal once the NGT committee approves the methodology and policy of the auction.
While lifting the ban on coal mining in Meghalaya, the Supreme Court had stated that the entire extracted coal lying at various places across the state would be taken over by Coal India Ltd, which would auction the same according to its normal method.
The apex court had earlier allowed coal mining operations in the state, on private and community-owned land subject to the permissions from the authorities concerned and according to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
In 2019, the NGT committee headed by Justice (retired) BP Katakey had termed the Meghalaya government’s draft policy for transportation and auction of the already extracted coal as a “mere piece of paper” and had directed the state government to give a detailed break-up of the extracted coal in all the districts and sub-divisions. The panel also sought the names of the owners whose coal was lying in the open.
The NGT had on April 17, 2014, banned coal mining in Meghalaya after the Assam-based All Dimasa Students’ Union and Dima Hasao District Committee filed a petition, stating that acidic discharge from unscientific coal mines of Meghalaya was polluting Kopili River downstream.
