SHILLONG: Minor Minerals Owners and Workers Association met the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday to amend the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules (MMMCR), 2016 with a request to exempt the traditional quarry operation from the ambit of MMMCR, 2016.
The association said that in the MMMCR, there are certain lacunae and loopholes, caused by some rules, sub-rules and clauses which are not applicable and suitable and hence unacceptable to the marginal and small or manual traditional operation labourers, workers.
The rules/provision to obtain mining lease, quarry permit and method of cluster system are a matter of concern for the association as it asserted that it will destroy the identity and economic rights of local tribal people or the state, as the rules would give undue opportunity to vested interests and Benami business transactions, increase rural unemployments, school dropout students, malnutrition and rural poverty thereby subsequently affecting the progress and prosperity of the state in all respects.
The association suggested that the government may issue/grant environmental clearance to the small and marginal workers/owners who are engaged in ‘a hand broken/manual/traditional method of quarry operation’ with conditions that mining should not affect the nature and environment especially water, air, road, agricultural land, heritage site, monuments, residential site, historical sites and others.
