Shillong: A federal team plans to visit Meghalaya this October. They will evaluate if scientific coal mining can function on the ground. NPP legislator Santa Mary Shylla confirmed the development after meeting with Additional Secretary for Mining and Geology, Rupinder Brar. Officials from the Directorate of Mineral Resources and the Law Department also attended the meeting.
This visit stems from talks between Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy. Shylla described the outcome of these discussions as "very positive." Both the state government and the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited provided assessments during the meeting.
The state government faces major hurdles. They must address the need for smaller mining blocks to suit local terrain. Meghalaya also rejects open-cast mining because of high costs and environmental destruction. Furthermore, most land remains privately held rather than state-owned. The team must now figure out how to conduct mining without trampling local property rights.
Officials have tracked this file since 2019. Shylla noted a shift in tone from the center, claiming the Government of India is now ready to help Meghalaya. The state government will keep pushing the issue at the political level until the visit occurs. This trip will serve as the first real test of federal cooperation in the state's hills.
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