SHILLONG, AUG 18: The state government on Thursday decided to again start issuing challan for export of limestone outside Meghalaya.
This was after the government had received clarification from the Coal and Mines Ministry and Ministry of Commerce on the issue following an order passed by the Meghalaya High Court on June 23, 2022.
Addressing media persons, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that ultimately, the moment the order of the High Court was received, the state government has taken up this issue with the government of India, Ministry of Coal and Mines as well as with the Ministry of Commerce.
“Only few days back we got the views, the notification and the clarification from these two concerned ministries…they have clarified that export is already listed in the list of export items of limestone irrespective of whether limestone is major or whether limestone is minor,” he said.
Tynsong also informed that the government through its advocate general has also received the verbal observation of the High Court.
The PIL filed by one Lawyerson War was again taken up for hearing on Thursday and in its order, the court said, “Since the petitioner seeks some time, let the matter appear a fortnight hence. List on September 7, 2022.”
In view of this, the deputy chief minister announced the government’s decision to start issuing challan for exporting limestone outside Meghalaya.
“So today, through the advocate general, we received the verbal observation of the high court that from now on we are going to issue challan again for export of limestone irrespective of major or minor and the state government will accordingly issue the challan to the concerned exporters for exporting of this material outside the state and outside the country. Again, the high court has listed this case in the next 15 days,” he informed.
When asked, Tynsong said that the government had stopped issuing challan for export of limestone since June 23, 2020.
Going back to the order passed on June 23, 2022, the Meghalaya High Court had directed the state authorities to ascertain whether the license issued for mining of limestone is misused by exporting the mining mineral to any country.
“The State’s affidavit should deal with such aspects of the matter upon ascertaining whether any license issued to any person for mining limestone as a minor mineral is being misused by exporting the mining mineral to any country,” the court had said.
The order had said that the petitioner had reported that challans like the one he has produced in Court today are being used for persons to cite the same as a license to export the limestone to a neighbouring country, though the license issued is by treating limestone as a minor mineral.
A license for mining limestone as a minor mineral may only be issued if the end-use of the product is as a building material. Surely, exporting the goods to another country will not amount to the mineral being used for building material even if the same were used for building material in the other country.
The petitioner informed that he has obtained a copy of a challan pertaining to limestone mining that brings to light the irregularities in such regard.
He complains that since the institution of the present proceedings, requests made by the petitioner under the Right to Information Act, 2005 have gone unheeded.
The court had however said the source of obtaining the challan need not be disclosed, since the State will confirm whether the copy document is authentic or not.
By Our Reporter
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