New Delhi: The State Co-ordination Committee of Coal Owners’, Miners’ & Dealers’ Forum (SCCCOMDF), on Friday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for constituting the high-level committee on coal mining issues.
The SCCCOMD members had earlier met officials at the Prime Ministers’ resident and submitted a detailed memorandum in this regard.
“The Prime Minister was gracious enough to issue a written acknowledgment to the Forum and Shillong MP Vincent H. Pala,” a statement from the Forum said.
The sudden and blanket ban on coal mining in the hill state of Meghalaya by the NGT has created incalculable losses to lakhs of people in the State and mostly to the poor tribal miners, workers and others involved in related coal mining activities as a means of livelihood, the statement said.
There are cases where workers had abandoned their children and were starving in their homes, they said.
“We hope this committee will complete the task within the stipulated period as notified for the welfare and the interest of the people of the State of Meghalaya and the country as a whole,” the statement added.
The Prime Minister’s Office had constituted a six-member committee to work out an amicable solution to the issue of coal mining in the State that was banned by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in April. The committee, to be headed by Cabinet Secretary has the Home Secretary, the Secretary, Ministry of Coal, the Secretary, Ministry of Mines, the Secretary, Ministry of Law and the Meghalaya Chief Secretary as members.
The committee will hold its first meeting on September 15 in New Delhi.
