NONGSTOIN/SHILLONG: The Supreme Court will hear the case against the National Green Tribunal’s ban order on coal mining in Meghalaya on Monday.
The Hima Nongstoin Land Owners, Coal Traders and Producers Association had filed a petitioned in the Apex Court to lift the ban on coal mining.
The association’s general secretary, Apsharailang Syiem, said the court could not decide on the matter for two years.
“The advocates representing the association have left for Delhi,” he added.
Earlier, during a hearing on the matter, the state had made a submission that the mining guidelines and rules have already been submitted to the respective central ministries.
While the matter related to coal mining is still pending with the NGT since April 17, 2014, the state government had already moved the Centre to exempt Meghalaya, a scheduled area, from the purview of central mining laws.
However, the matter is still pending with the Centre.
The Apex Court had allowed transportation of already extracted coal till May 31 this year.
The extracted coal lying in the open is approximately 5 lakh metric tonnes.
Though officially mining and transportation of already extracted coal was stopped, there are recurring cases of violation of the NGT order as fresh mining and transportation of coal were reported from parts of the state.
