CM says govt would push the case of those who hold less than 100 hectares
SHILLONG, Jan 30: The imminent resumption of scientific coal mining in Meghalaya has brought renewed hope for large coal barons, but concerns persist over the fate of small-time miners who do not own the required 100 hectares of land to start mining operations.
Recently, three escrow agreements were signed between the Controller of Coal, the Government of India, and project proponents for mining sites in three locations across the state, marking the beginning of scientific coal mining.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma acknowledged the challenges faced by the state in resuming coal mining. “We were at a crossroads when deciding on the resumption of scientific coal mining. We had to move forward and did not have the luxury to bargain on too many fronts. If we had pushed too much, perhaps nothing would have materialised,” he said.
He said the government wants to ensure that mining starts in the state and the next move would be to facilitate operations by the small-scale miners.
According to the rules, people who possess 100 hectares of land can start scientific coal mining in the state after obtaining necessary approvals from the Ministry of Coal.
Dismissing claims that the agreements were signed as an election gimmick, Sangma pointed out that the process of obtaining clearances was tedious and complicated. “Previous governments struggled to decide how to move forward,” he said.
He said following the Supreme Court’s verdict on the issue, the state had to seek special provisions from the Centre due to Meghalaya’s unique land tenure system.
Asked whether the resumption of scientific mining would put an end to illegal coal mining, Sangma said the National Green Tribunal (NGT) should have initially adopted a fair and transitional approach to allow miners to shift to a cleaner process.
“With this development, we expect things to smoothen out, as even miners do not want to engage in illegal activities,” he said.
Reflecting on the legal battle, Sangma recalled that in 2019, when the state government decided to challenge the NGT order in the Supreme Court, they feared further complications if the verdict was not favourable. However, after the Supreme Court ruling, new provisions had to be created to facilitate private mining, which took considerable time.
While the state government lacks specific data on the expected revenue from coal mining, Sangma noted that non-tax royalty used to range from Rs 500 crore to Rs 900 crore annually before the ban was imposed.
“We expect to generate similar or higher revenue now,” he said.