SHILLONG: Opposition chief whip and Congress MLA, PT Sawkmie has stated that the Central Government should invoke Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution so that Coal Mines Nationalisation Act 1973 does not apply in Meghalaya.
According to Para 12 A (b), a presidential notification can exempt Meghalaya from the purview of central mining laws which will facilitate coal mining in Meghalaya.
He said that when the President of India can repeal Article 370 from Jammu& Kashmir overnight, there should be no problem for the Union Government
and the President to invoke Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution which states that ‘the President may, with respect to any Act of Parliament, by notification, direct that it shall not apply to an autonomous district or an autonomous region in the State of Meghalaya, or shall apply to such district or region or any part thereof subject to such exceptions or modifications as he may specify in the notification and any such direction may be given so as to have retrospective effect.’
Alleging that Article 370 was repealed for political conveniences, he added that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly in 2014 had resolved to issue presidential notification on invoking Para 12 A(b) to ensure that coal mining starts in Meghalaya in conformity with all the provisions and requirements of the statutory laws.
