SHILLONG: Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday said that it was the Union Cabinet which would recommend to the President to exempt Meghalaya from the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act, 1973, as per the Para 12 (a) (b) of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The statement came from Deputy Chief Minister after Senior Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh had hit out at the BJP-led central government for not disclosing that the Ministry of Coal had agreed to exempt Meghalaya from the Central Mining Acts in regard to coal and lignite.
Tynsong on Tuesday said that the final decision for exempting Meghalaya from the Act had to be taken by the Union Cabinet and based on the recommendations of the Union Cabinet, the President would issue the presidential notification
He said that the it was only the view of the Ministry of coal that Meghalaya should be exempted from the two Acts and the Cabinet would also seek views from other connected departments like Ministry of Environment.
When asked if the BJP led NDA Government was sabotaging the whole issue of coal mining in the state, Tynsong said that there was no question of sabotaging since the Union Cabinet was yet to take a final call on the matter.
“This is an incomplete recommendation since the Union Cabinet would have to get recommendations from all other line departments and then take a final call on the matter,” Tynsong said.
It may be mentioned that Ministry of Coal had written a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs on August 10, 2015 informing that the ministry has given its consent in making the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act, 1973, non-applicable in Meghalaya.