Meghalaya’s Directorate of Mineral Resources would be conducting an orientation and sensitisation programme for all coal mine owners in East Jaintia Hills district toward granting of prospecting licence, preparation of a geological report and feasibility study.
DMR officials on Friday said that the programme in district headquarters Khliehriat on February 17 would also be for granting of mining lease under scientific coal mining plan according to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960.
“This is in pursuance to the Supreme Court order on July 3, 2019, to facilitate systematic, safe, scientific and planned utilisation of mineral resources and to streamline mineral-based development of the State,” a DMR official said from Shillong.
The National Green Tribunal had banned ecologically unsafe and hazardous rat-hole coal mining in Meghalaya from April 14 while allowing the transportation of already extracted coal up to a certain period. But mine owners continued extracting coal illegally until a mishap in one of these mines killed at least 17 people on December 13, 2018.
The Conrad K. Sangma-government has been seeking resumption of mining in a “scientific manner” for the State to earn revenue. Meghalaya, the government claimed, used to earn an average of ₹600 crore from coal trade annually before the ban was imposed.
