Shillong,July 30: The Meghalaya State Coordination Committee of the Coal Owners, Miners, Exporters, Transporters and Dealers Forum (MSCCCOETDF) will hold public meetings to pressure the state government to immediately scrap the standard operating procedure (SOP) for granting prospecting license and mining lease for coal mining.
The SOP said grant of prospecting license and/or mining lease for coal in the state of Meghalaya shall be for an area not less than 100 hectares.
“The decision was taken after the state government failed to address the issue despite a memorandum submitted before the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on July 2,” executive member of the forum Reginald Shylla said.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, he said the forum would be holding series of public meetings in different coal-rich districts of the state, to sensitize people about the SOP issued by the government of Meghalaya on March 5, 2021 for being contrary to the Mining and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and the same notification (SOP) is arbitrarily exercised by Meghalaya beyond the principle of delegated legislation.
According to the miners, the SOP has deprived the local indigenous people who have less than 100 hectares as it will disqualify them for making an application before the concerned authorities for applying for prospecting license. Shylla said.
“It is pertinent to state that the SOP is favourable to those business tycoons, depriving the persons who have less than 100 hectares and in the event having no resort other than to sell the land to those business persons, which is basically an exploitation of the people’s land”, Shylla added.
