SHILLONG, June 26: Ten years after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) crippled the economy of East Jaintia Hills, the National People’s Party (NPP) is once again banking on the promise of “scientific mining” to secure the Shillong Lok Sabha seat, asking voters to remain patient for a revival that has remained largely on paper since 2014.
Addressing a campaign meeting for NPP candidate Dr DRL Nonglait at Sutnga, local MLA Santa Mary Shylla appealed to the electorate to stand by the party, claiming the state government is making progress in navigating the legal hurdles required to restart the sector.
The coal industry, once the backbone of the local economy, has been paralyzed for a decade. While the government has pitched scientific mining as the only viable path forward, the transition requires rigorous environmental clearances and technical standards that have yet to translate into large-scale operations on the ground.
Shylla urged the public not to lose hope, maintaining that the resumption of mining is a gradual process tied to strict regulatory norms. She claimed that open-cast mining is not feasible in East Jaintia Hills, leaving scientific mining as the sole option for extraction.
The MLA credited Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar for leading efforts to facilitate the revival, though she admitted the process cannot be completed overnight due to the complexities of the legal framework. For many families in the region whose livelihoods vanished in 2014, however, the “overnight” wait has now stretched into its tenth year.
Making an electoral pitch for Dr. Nonglait, Shylla argued that the next Member of Parliament must be a strong voice in New Delhi to articulate the concerns of coal-dependent communities and press the Centre for solutions that fit Meghalaya’s specific needs.
Beyond the coal crisis, Shylla also highlighted the developmental neglect of villages along the Indo-Bangladesh border. She noted that these geographically isolated areas require urgent policy attention and better representation to address their unique disadvantages.
