SHILLONG, Nov 16: Paving the way for resumption of coal mining in Meghalaya, the Mining and Geology department has begun prospecting operations and the state government is likely 
to issue mining leases from next year.
A government official confirmed that the Mining and Geology department will grant mining leases from next year after completing the prospecting operations.
It may be mentioned that Union government has allowed Meghalaya the and Directorate of Mineral Resources to conduct prospecting mining following which the government has now cleared the Standard Operating Procedure to prescribe the procedure for obtaining prospecting licenses and mining leases.
The Supreme Court had in July 2019 lifted the NGT ban. The apex court had said in its order that in Meghalaya, the local tribal people are the owners of their land and also the minerals beneath.
The top court had said that if coal mining is done under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and the Mineral Concession Rules 1960, the ban imposed by the NGT will not be applicable.