Date | Nov 27, 2016:
Tura MP Conrad Sangma has sought a meeting of the representatives from the coal and the forest and environment ministries and the Meghalaya chief secretary to discuss the NGT ban on coal mining in the state.
Sangma had during the last session of Parliament, met Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and requested him to arrange a meeting of the secretaries of the coal and the forest and environment ministries with Chief Secretary K.S Kropha in New Delhi on December 1.
Sangma had also highlighted the importance of the issue during the last session of Parliament on October 11. The PMO has informed Sangma that a meeting is scheduled to take place on December 1 at the PM’s office in South Block.
On September 21, the Supreme Court permitted transportation of extracted coal that has been assessed in Meghalaya for a period of eight months from October 1 till May 31 next year, after hearing a petition filed by the Ka Hima Nongstoi Land Owners, Coal Traders and Producers Association.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya government had informed the apex court that 30,12,609 metric tonnes of assessed extracted coal was to be transported.
Except allowing transportation of extracted coal, mining of coal in Meghalaya has been banned by the National Green Tribunal for over 31 months since April 17, 2014,in the absence of a mining plan and guidelines to safeguard the environment.
(Source: http://www.northeasttoday.in/)