Shillong: Meghalaya families have suffered for twelve years. The 2014 National Green Tribunal ban on rat-hole coal mining gutted the economy of East Jaintia Hills. Small landowners lost their income, pushing many into illegal operations while state revenue vanished. Relief might finally be on the horizon.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma met Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy in New Delhi this week to force the issue. Sangma demanded the Centre delegate approval authority under Section 26 of the Mines and Minerals Act. He wants the state to clear mining plans locally to fix a broken, one-size-fits-all national system.
The current 100-hectare concession rule excludes most tribal holders. These owners rarely own such massive, continuous tracts of land. Sangma stated, "The national model, he said, does not fit the state’s ground reality."
Reddy agreed to form a committee to study the request. This team will weigh the state's plea for control against current environmental and safety regulations. While the state pushes for quick action, the Centre has not yet surrendered any authority. The committee will issue recommendations, but the final decision remains in New Delhi. Residents wait for a system that promotes legal mining without the misery of the past.
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