Photo Courtesy: nenews
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma met with Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy in New Delhi to demand a shift in power. Sangma wants the Centre to hand over mining approval authority to the state government. He argued this change would let tribal coal owners secure legal permits without trekking to distant federal offices.
The Chief Minister pointed to Meghalaya’s unique Sixth Schedule status. Land and mineral rights here belong to clans and individuals, not the state. Current national mining models do not fit these fragmented, small-scale operations. "Our coal seams are thin and scattered, with deposits spread across small family and clan holdings rather than large mining blocks," Sangma told the Minister.
The current 100-hectare minimum lease requirement under the 2021 Standard Operating Procedure blocks most locals from entering the legal market. This policy, combined with the 2014 rat-hole mining ban, has gutted livelihoods and crushed state tax revenue. Sangma requested the Centre use Section 26 of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act to fix this mess.
Reddy suggested forming a committee to review the proposal. Sangma accepted the offer. The state expects officials to strike a deal that allows families to work their own land under proper, localized oversight.
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