Meghalaya: Centre gives nod for coal mining to four miners in state, says CM Sangma

Centre has approved four mining leases and this will now allow the process of ‘scientific mining’ or ‘legal mining’ of coal in the state, said Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on May 2.

A meeting was held in the secretariat between Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI) and the Department of Forest and Mining with the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. 

The Chief Minister also said that the main objective is to work towards a plan for the reclamation of the mines. 

"So whether it is minor minerals or major minerals, as you're aware that we have been working and there is a fund available with us for reclamation of the mines, and hence, this is a process which we want to start and we have been engaging with many agencies, but now, CMPDI which is a very experienced agency and the government of India agency is an agency which has vast experience in all these aspects. So we had a detailed meeting with them and we are working towards how we should move forward for this entire issue of reclamation," Sangma added.

Emphasizing on scientific mining, Sangma said that the main hurdle for the process of scientific mining or mining to start in a scientific manner was the mining lease. 

Sangma further informed that he was happy to inform that about a week ago the government of India approved the mining lease to be given to four miners.

"So hence we have overcome the largest hurdle that we had for the process of scientific mining and legal mining, to start in the state. And therefore now once we have the public hearing and the forest clearance and the mining plan approved which are just procedural aspects, we expect that in anything between 30 days to 45 days, these approvals will be done," he said.

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