MMDC takeover to benefit mine owners

From A Correspondent

Shillong, Dec 13: Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on Wednesday said that mine owners of the State would benefit from the State government’s decision to hand over mining to Meghalaya Mineral Development Corporation Limited (MMDC).

Replying to a call-attention motion in the ongoing Winter Session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Sangma said, as per the new proposal, MMDC would invest in the coal mines of local mine owners and thereafter invite tenders, following which mining would be undertaken.

“The profit will then be shared between the coal mine owners and MMDC,” Chief Minister said while replying to the call-attention motion raised by suspended Congress legislator PN Syiem.

Sangma informed the House that MMDC would take a margil profit of 20% to 25%, which is less than what the middlemen and investors from outside the State are taking presently.

He also said the State government is also simultaneously persuading the Centre to amend para 12 A of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to exempt Meghalaya from the purview of Central legislations.

“We should allow the proposal of allowing MMDC to take up mining of coal in the State until the Centre agrees to the request of State Government to amend para 12 A,” the Chief Minister stated. He also claimed that tiol Green Tribul (NGT) “did not ban mining of coal but has banned only illegal coal mining” in Meghalaya. According to Sangma, coal mining is presently illegal because the mining activities do not conform with the statutory laws pertaining to environment, safety and health aspects. Therefore, all these statutory requirements have to be reflected in the mining plan and placed before the NGT, he added.