Delegate powers to Meghalaya govt to facilitate scientific coal mining, CM urges Centre

Shillong, Jul 7 (PTI) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday urged the Centre to delegate statutory powers to the state to facilitate legal coal mining by thousands of tribal landowners. During a meeting with Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy in New Delhi, Sangma sought delegation of powers under Section 26 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, enabling the state to grant prior approvals and approve mining plans for coal. "The step would allow thousands of small tribal coal-holders to obtain lawful mineral concessions and the necessary approvals within the state itself," the chief minister said in a statement. Sangma said Meghalaya's unique land tenure system under the Sixth Schedule, where land and minerals are owned by individuals, clans and communities rather than the state, makes the existing approval mechanism impractical. "The national model does not fit Meghalaya's ground reality. Coal deposits here are thin and scattered and are held in small family and clan parcels rather than large mining blocks," he said. He said the minimum concession area of 100 hectares prescribed under the 2021 Standard Operating Procedure has effectively excluded most genuine tribal coal holders from obtaining mining leases. "It is neither practical nor affordable for a small holder to travel repeatedly to Delhi and the Indian Bureau of Mines office in Kolkata to obtain approvals for a modest deposit," he said. Sangma said that since the National Green Tribunal restrained rat-hole coal mining in April 2014 over environmental and safety concerns, thousands of families dependent on small-scale coal mining have lost their primary source of livelihood, while the state has suffered substantial losses in royalty, cess and tax revenues. The ban followed concerns over rampant unscientific "rat-hole" mining, environmental degradation and fatal accidents in coal mines across the state. While permitting scientific mining subject to statutory clearances, the tribunal prohibited unscientific extraction and transportation of freshly mined coal. In July 2019, the Supreme Court of India upheld the rights of tribal landowners over coal and other minerals in Meghalaya but ruled that mining activities must comply with the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and environmental laws. The apex court also allowed the transportation and auction of inventoried coal extracted before the NGT ban under a regulated mechanism. The issue has also been periodically monitored by the Meghalaya High Court, which has passed a series of orders directing the state government to curb illegal coal mining and transportation, ensure strict enforcement of environmental norms and act against unauthorised extraction while facilitating lawful mining in accordance with court directions. Sangma submitted a formal representation to the Union minister, recalling that the Ministry of Coal had, in principle, agreed to Meghalaya's request for delegation of powers in 2015. He urged the Centre to issue the necessary notifications under Section 26 of the MMDR Act and related rules. At the end of the meeting, Reddy suggested constituting a committee to examine the proposal, a suggestion welcomed by the chief minister. A committee is expected to be constituted shortly to study the matter, the statement said. PTI JOP RG