No stoppage on limestone export

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, MAR 6: The Meghalaya government today maintained that there has been no “stoppage” on export of limestone provided rules and laws were adhered to.

In his reply during Question Hour on the second day of the budget session of the State Assembly, chief minister Mukul Sangma said the state government would explore possibilities to further simplify the system in facilitating mining and export of limestone.

“There is no stoppage of export of limestone from the state provided the Acts/Rules are followed and adhered to,” Sangma said.

Opposition parties had expressed their concern that in view of stoppage of export of limestone, a large number of people had to suffer especially those who were dependent on mining activity.

Seeking a clarification on the measures adopted by the state government to ensure uninterrupted export of limestone, Opposition Leader Donkupar Roy said there was a need to allow transportation of the already extracted limestone.

The chief minister replied by saying that the government has resorted to an exercise in as far as the available stocks are concerned to ensure that whatever stocks declared to have been available in their respective mines are allowed to be exported as per Acts/Rules.

Sangma further informed that whatever was required to ensure simpler mechanism was in place to facilitate mining activities has already been done.

“We will also still explore all the available measures to further simplify the system within the mandate of the law because our intention is to ensure that whatever livelihood activities followed for years and generations do not get dislocated,” he said.

Moreover, the chief minister said the government has taken various measures to regulate mining of minor minerals including limestone following directions of the Meghalaya High Court issued in June 2015 and November 2015 in a writ petition filed by Tangkham Sangma and the review petition filed by the state government.

He said that a notification of the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules, 2016 for granting mining lease/quarry permit for extraction of limestone and other minerals was issued in September last year.

Another notification in November last year was also issued authorizing Divisional Forest Officers (Territorial) as Competent Authority in their respective jurisdiction to grant mining lease/quarry permit upto an area of 5 hectares for minor minerals under Schedule III of the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules, 2016.

For granting of environmental clearance in case of mining lease/quarry upto an area of 5 hectares, Sangma said the state government has constituted District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) and District Expert Appraisal Committee (DEAC) last year.

Further, he said that for approval of mining plan in respect of minor minerals, a Committee under the Director of Mineral Resources with members from the Forest & Environment Department was also constituted.

The chief minister maintained that the state government was seized of the issue pertaining to various problems faced by the miners and it was for this that it came up with the above measures.

Urging the miners to take advantage of the measures, Sangma said the issue is related to allowing mining and transportation of minor minerals and the government will further make the system simpler to assist them (miners).

Earlier, HSPDP chief Ardent M Basaiawmoit alleged that it was a violation of the Constitution and human rights where the right to life was denied to those people who were solely dependent on mining activities.

Reacting to this, the chief minister said that judiciary has intervened because the visible action on the ground was not being adhered to as per the relevant Acts/Rules.

“What is constitutional is for the government to abide by any pronouncement by the judiciary and accordingly seek relief through appeal/review petition,” Sangma said adding that the only thing was to explore possibility of getting relief from the judiciary and this is what the state government has done.