From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, July 27: In a startling disclosure, the Centre on Thursday asserted that no coal has been extracted for the last five years in Meghalaya.
The straight reply by Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Prahlad Joshi to a question posed by Shillong MP, Vincent H. Pala in Lok Sabha is undoubtedly startling since an agitated High Court of Meghalaya has left no stone unturned to castigate the state government for proliferation of illegal coal mining and associated activities in the state despite the interventions of the Supreme Court and the national green tribunal. The state government has been facing some heavy fire from the high court for its alleged complicity with the coal mining and transport mafia.
The Union minister’s unexpected response to Pala’s query on the exact quantity of coal extracted annually for the last five years in Meghalaya, defies logic since the state government had candidly admitted, earlier this month, that it is not capable of stopping the flourishing illegal trade.
It was none other than Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma who was unwavering in his assertion that people were resorting to illegal coal trade since they had been doing it for over 200 years and they had no other avenue to earn their livelihood.
Continuing his reply, Joshi said, “Mining lease for coal is granted by the concerned state government as per provisions of the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960. However, the Meghalaya government is required to seek previous approval of the central government under Rule 42 of Mineral Concession Rules, 1960 before granting mining lease.”
So far, the Meghalaya government has submitted four applications seeking previous approval of the central government for grant of mining lease and the central government has already conveyed previous approval, he continued.
Recently, the high court while coming down hard on the state government, had even asked why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against Chief Secretary, DP Wahlang and DGP, Lajja Ram Bishnoi for their apparent inaction and failure to check illegal coal mining operations and transportation in the state.