TMC to keep close watch on scientific mining to ensure it is not used to facilitate illegal coal mining: Mukul Sangma

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 7, 2025

Leader of Opposition and TMC leader Mukul Sangma on Thursday said his party will keep a close watch to ensure ‘scientific mining’ is not being used to facilitate illegal mining and transportation of coal in the state.

“We have to see whether this scientific coal mining, which has gone through the necessary procedures to ultimately reach this level (is being) weaponized to facilitate illegal coal mining,” Sangma told reporters while commenting on the Centre’s recent decision to grant approval to start scientific mining of coal.

Three Escrow agreements were signed between the Controller of Coal, Government of India and the project proponents for mining sites at Pyndengshalang, West Khasi Hills, Saryngkham, East Jaintia Hills, and Lumiakhi Wahsarang, East Jaintia Hills on January 29.

“This is another issue, which has to be under close watch and we need to do that because as I said it has to be revolved around the interest of the state and revolves around the interest of the people,” Sangma added.

Urging the government to put an end to illegal coal mining in the state, the former chief minister said, “Stopping illegal coal mining and stopping transportation of such illegally extracted coal is to protect the interest of the state and the people. It is a responsibility, which must be considered as though it is a divine responsibility of the government (considering that we) are struggling to have the resources required for the needs of developmental aspirations of the people.”

“The government must put an end to illegal coal mining and failure to do that is going to amount to their complicity in facilitating these whole illegalities,” he added.

Sangma alleged that at present there is complete failure of the government to protect the interest of the people and the state given the fact that the autonomous district councils (ADCs) are yet to be able to pay salaries to their employees simply because of the fact that the royalty collected from major minerals is not finding their way into the public exchequer.

“Today our GHADC is not able to pay salaries for the employees that means the complete functioning of the GHADC is as bad as crippled that means we are talking about the importance of the provisions of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India vis-a-vis the overall rights vested upon our people belonging to scheduled tribes particularly our indigenous tribes. So what is going to happen if this whole I must say this insensitivity of the government results in complete crippling of this important institution, which is mandated by the constitution which is to protect the interest of our indigenous people and to protect the land that our people have inherited. There are many who become victims due to collateral effects (due to illegal coal mining),” the TMC leader stated. 

He was also of the opinion that the onus of responsibility also lies with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to pull up the chief secretary (CS), director general of police (DGP)and other officers concerned for their failure to check such illegalities.

“Now, the onus of responsibility of implementing the orders of any court or orders of the NGT is vested first with the CS and the DGP (and also) the government of the day because if they are not taking cognizance of these illegalities, I have reasons to believe that there is a complicity allowing illegalities to happen.”

Meghalaya CM announces start of scientific mining of coal, says decision to ban should have been just and fair

Also slamming Coal India for taking so much time to auction the declared extracted coal, Sangma said, “As per order of the Supreme Court dated July 3, 2019, it is very clear that the responsibility is vested upon few authorities including Coal India and the state government. Right from 2019 and this is 2025, how does it take so much time for this coal which is declared as per the inventory submitted or rather it is a revised inventory submitted by the state government (to be auctioned)?”

He further questioned, “How can something which is 2 lakh metric tons (MT) suddenly becomes 30 lakh plus MT? Earlier inventory was projecting that the subsequent balance of coal, which were yet to be transported with the relevant permission of the government, was around 2 lakh MT then suddenly there was an inventory, which was reflective of highly inflated stock of already extracted coal. The NGT should have taken cognizance of this.”

“Now if they accept this inventory, does it take six years to be transported? Does it take six years? That means this whole process is being delayed in order to ensure that under the so-called transportation of this extracted coal which were declared through the Supreme Court through the revised inventory, it is weaponized to facilitate illegal coal mining,” he alleged while adding “Is it not possible for the officers to determine whether it is freshly extracted or not? Is it not possible? They are geologists, they come with the background of knowledge based on which they studied and qualified to be officers in relevant departments. Therefore, it is a serious issue.”