Date | June 08, 2017:

More than 50,000 people who are directly or indirectly involved in the limestone mining activities have been badly affected after the State Government had stopped export of limestone to Bangladesh since September 18,2016.

It may be mentioned that the people who have been affected with this decision of the State Government are those from Mawlong-Ichamati, Shella, Bholaganj in East Khasi Hills and Bakli in South West Khasi Hills. The State Government had disallowed export of limestone to Bangladesh after it was mandatory for individual limestone miners to get the Mining License for mining and export of limestone with the Meghalaya Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2016 coming into force.

Talking to media persons at Shillong Press Club today, the president of Meghalaya Minerals Exporter’s Chamber of Commerce (MMECO), Stodar Dkhar said that all these families who have been badly affected by this decision of the State Government are facing great difficulties since they are a in state of dilemma since they have no other alternative to earn their livelihood.

He said that major of these families are facing difficulties to get their daily meal even as many of the children have discontinued their schooling since their parents can no longer afford to send them to school.
“We urged upon the State Government to solve the problem of the people at the earliest,” Dkhar said.

Informing that the State Government had made it mandatory for the small time miners to get with the Minor Mineral Concessionaire Rules, 2016 coming into force, MMECO president said that the limestone miners are facing difficulties to get the Mining License since the Government has failed to lay down a proper guideline on the procedure for applying of the license.

‘Personally, I have submitted the Mining Plan to the State Government for availing of the mining license. But till now the matter is still pending with the Mining and Geology department,” he said.

Dkhar revealed that he had to prepare mining plan twice since the State Government was not clear whether the mining should be prepared as per the Central Rules or as per the Rules formulated by the State Government. Replying to a query, he said that he had spent around Rs 5 lakh for the preparation of the mining plan.

Stating that it is impossible for the small time miners to continue the mining of limestone with the new system in place, MMECO president said that besides spending huge amount of money on preparation of the mining plan, they would have also have to hire a mining engineer with a salary of Rs 1 lakh a month.

Meanwhile, he said that the traditional mining practices which was followed since time immemorial is more environment friendly than the mining which being carried by the big companies like the Lafarge Umiam Private Limited (LUMPL) which is operating in Nongtrai village and Komora Limestone Ltd Company which is located in Majai under Sohbar Elaka.

“Both the companies are still allowed to operate and export limestone to Bangladesh since they have got the mining lease,” he said.

Dkhar however informed that more than 40 lakh metric tonnes of extracted limestone are lying in the various limestone quarries in Shella areas.

“We urged upon the State Government to issue challan for exporting the extracted limestone. This will provide a temporarily relief to the people of the areas,” he added.

(Source: https://www.nagalandpost.com/)