SHILLONG | July 04, 2017: The crucial July 27 hearing of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) will decide whether Meghalaya will get any relief from the ban on coal mining ahead of the Assembly polls slated after seven months.

However, official sources said on Monday that it is unlikely that NGT will give any relief soon since many procedures need to be followed before starting mining activities.

While the case related to NGT will be on July 27, no date has been fixed by the Supreme Court to hear the plea of the coal mining body to seek another extension of six months for the transportation of the already extracted coal.

An official dealing with the matter said the Supreme Court is yet to list the matter though the State Co-ordination Committee of Coal Owners, Miners and Dealers Forum (SCCCOMDF) had sought extension for transportation of the extracted coal lying in different areas of the State.

After May 31 this year, the Supreme Court did not allow miners to transport the coal.
The quantity of coal still lying to be exported is around 8 lakh metric tonnes after the miners exported 23 lakh metric tonnes in the last eight months from the total 31 lakh metric tonnes.

As far as the case pending in NGT is concerned, the government had already submitted draft guidelines and mining policy to the concerned central ministries and they can revert to the State Government if any rectifications are required.

Though the State Government had sought a presidential notification to exempt Meghalaya from the central mining laws, the matter is likely to be delayed due to the upcoming polls and a new president will have to take a call on the matter, an official source added.

(Source: http://www.theshillongtimes.com/)