Date | March 16, 2016:
Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Dr. Mukul Sangma has expressed his confidence that the ongoing ban on coal mining in Meghalaya that has been imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) will be removed and that coal mining will soon resume in the State.
Replying to a motion on, Dr. Sangma said that once the guidelines on coal mining in Meghalaya and the invoking of Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule are approved, mining in Meghalaya can be resumed. The State Assembly had adopted a resolution in 2014 to urge the Centre for invoking Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule through a Presidential notification to ensure that operation of the relevant provisions of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act 1957 and Coal Mines Nationalization Act, 1973 are exempted in Meghalaya.
Sangma added that the state government’s exercise to prevail upon the Centre to invoke the relevant provision of Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution has not been ignored and asked the leaders to prevail upon the people so that they demonstrate the spirit of responsible mining while continuing with their rights.
(Source: http://www.northeasttoday.in/)