By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 15: The Jaintia Students’ Movement (JSM) has issued a firm ultimatum to the NPP-led MDA Government, setting March 31 as the deadline to amend the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for coal mining leases and provide financial assistance to small-scale mine owners. Failure to comply, the organisation warned, will trigger a statewide agitation.
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, JSM general secretary Roitre Dkhar demanded immediate amendments to the SOP and clear assurances on financial support for small mine operators within the stipulated timeframe.
Dkhar cautioned that non-compliance would lead the JSM to convene a broad meeting of small-scale coal mine owners across Jaintia Hills and the state to organise large-scale protests.
The JSM highlighted the severe livelihood crisis in Jaintia Hills since the NGT ban on rat-hole mining in 2014. A significant portion of the region’s population relies directly or indirectly on coal mining for their income.
The ban has left many without stable livelihoods, even as a few continue illegal operations while the majority await legal avenues for resumption through scientific methods, JSM said.
Although the Supreme Court has allowed scientific coal mining, the JSM noted that only a limited number of applicants have obtained the required clearances. They blamed this on the “stringent” provisions in the Meghalaya government’s SOP, notified on March 5, 2021.
The memorandum specifically criticised the SOP’s requirement that prospecting licences and mining leases cover a minimum area of 100 hectares — a threshold the JSM argued contradicts the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, which sets a minimum of four hectares for mining leases.
The organisation alleged that the current policy disproportionately favours large operators with access to vast landholdings, effectively excluding small-scale local mine owners. It urged the government to revise the SOP by lowering the minimum area to four hectares, allowing more locals to engage in safe, scientific mining.
Referencing the recent tragic explosion at an illegal coal mine in Thangsko, which claimed 31 lives and drew widespread condemnation, the JSM called for a thorough, impartial investigation. It demanded accountability for authorities who allegedly failed to act despite prior awareness of the illegal operations.
The student body further argued that if the government can allocate funds to compensate victims of the Thangsko incident, it should similarly provide adequate financial aid to small-scale mine owners to help them prepare mining lease applications, obtain clearances, and meet compliance requirements.
