Updated…Meghalaya Ordered To Pay 100 Crore Fine, Allowed To Restart Coal Mining, Conrad hails decision

Shillong, July 03 (HS): In a landmark and historic judgement, the Supreme Court today paved the way for operationalizing coal mining in Meghalaya under the relevant statutory framework of the MMDR Act, 1957 at the same time directed the Meghalaya government to deposit the Rs 100 crore fine imposed on it by the NGT for failing to curb illegal coal mining with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

In one of 15 directions passed today the Supreme Court also lifted a 2014 ban on coal mining, which was challenged by both miners and the state, and said it would be permitted subject to permission from concerned authorities.

A bench of justices Ashok Bhushan and K M Joseph directed the state administration to hand over the illegally extracted coal to Coal India Limited (CIL) which will auction it and deposit the funds with the state government.

The bench also allowed the mining operation to go on in the state on the privately and community owned land subject to the permissions from the concerned authorities.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had fined the Meghalaya government on January 4 after taking note of a three-member committee’s report which stated that there were around 24,000 mines in Meghalaya and a majority of them were illegal. During the hearing, the state government had admitted that a large number of mines were operating illegally in the northeastern state.

On December, 15 miners were trapped in an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district after water from a nearby river rushed into the mine. Only two bodies were recovered.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has hailed the judgment of the Supreme Court, which has set aside the ban on coal by the NGT and has given a judgment that has recognised the rights of the tribals.

“The official judgment has not come out as yet but the basic gist of what we have been made to understand is that the ban that was put in by the NGT has been set aside by the SC and that the ban has been lifted,” said the Chief Minister.

He welcomed the judgment by saying that the most important part of the judgment is the fact that the tribal rights have been recognised.

“The fact that SC has come out with a judgment which states that the land and the resources are of the owners is landmark and historic, as it gives back the entire ownership to the people. This is the biggest victory, biggest aspect of the judgment as a whole,” the chief minister added.

He further said that Meghalaya has to realise the lesson learned with the ban on coal mining and its impact on the economy and should move on from now onwards by ensuring mining that is proper, scientific and systematic by adhering to rules and by ensuring utmost concern to the environmental aspect.