Miners’ forum slams Centre over ban on coal mining in M’laya

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 19, 2019

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya State Co-ordination Committee of Coal Owners, Miners, Exporters, Transporters & Dealer’s Forum on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led NDA government at the centre for its failure to take a decision on the coal mining issue in the state.

 

The chairman of the Forum Sonny L Khyriem in a statement issued here said that the Forum in its meeting held recently has resolved to strongly denounce the lackadaisical attitude of the Centre government in not being able to take decision with regard to the coal mining fiasco in Meghalaya, thereby impacting the livelihood of the people residing in the State.

 

He recalled that the counsel for the Union of India on May 7, last year has submitted in the Supreme Court their assurance that the Centre in all likelihood to take a final assessment within a period of three months and many months had passed by nothing materialised.

 

“However on the February 19, the said matter of coal issue pertaining to the State of Meghalaya was listed before the Supreme Court and to the dismay of the Court, the Union of India attended the Court for attendance sake and without any submission and rather initiated a blame game on the State Government and to which the counsels of the Forum and of the State Government instantly spell out that the mining plans with proposals was long submitted to the Union of India. In this connection the Supreme Court of India then directed the Union of India to come out with a final decision within a month time,” Khyriem said.

 

Stating that the next hearing on the matter will be held on March 26, he said that the Forum is contemplating to file an appropriate proceeding against the Union of India should they come to the Court with their usual excuses under the pretext of one unfairness reason or the other