No final approval for mining issued: Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya

No final approval has been granted to the Coal India Limited (CIL) for mining at the Tikok Open Cast Project
No final approval for mining issued: Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya

TIKOK OPEN CAST PROJECT ROW

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: No final approval has been granted to the Coal India Limited (CIL) for mining at the Tikok Open Cast Project in upper Assam. The Assam government is committed to protect the environment and forests of the State; and in no condition would allow mining by destroying its forests, said Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya and Commerce & Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary at a joint press meet here on Saturday.

Following a direction by the State Chief Minister, the State Forest Minister along with officials of the department and civil administration visited the Tikok OCP area on May 26.

Pointing out that "the area in question does not fall in the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary", Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya further said, "Mining has been stopped in that area since October 2019. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has imposed 28 conditions to the State Forest department and CIL at Stage-I. After the fulfillment of these pre-conditions by the CIL, the Assam government will submit a note on Stage-II to the Ministry. Only on grant of Stage-II clearance, mining can begin. The final decision on mining will be taken by the Centre only after the Ministry goes through the compliance report."

The Minister referred to two major preconditions. "The CIL will have to pay the Government of India the already imposed penal charges, Net Present Value (NPV), and other charges amounting to Rs 43.24 crore for illegal mining carried by it in that area from 2003 to 2013, in gross violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

The other prime precondition says that the Assam government "shall inquire into the matter" and also "identify the officials responsible for this violation and action should be taken against them".

He added, "We have already served show cause notices to 24 State Forest officials. The CIL has been also asked to provide us the details of their officials involved in the Forest Act violation activity."

Minister Suklabaidya further said, "Coal mining was carried out in the area in question since the British days. In 1973, the CIL took the area on lease for 30 years which expired in 2003. However, the CIL carried out its activities there till 2013.

"The then State government forwarded a proposal of CIL — under the Forest Act, 1980 — requesting the Centre to grant an ex-post facto clearance for the mining already done from 2003 to 2013; and prior approval for mining to be carried out from 2012 to 2023 covering the entire area of 98.59 hectare. Of this, 57.20 hectare was already broken till 2012.

"The matter, as recommended by the then State government, was discussed in the FAC (Forest Appraisal Committee) of the MoEF&CC on June 10, 2013. The FAC recommended the proposal subject to clearance from the NBWL (National Board for Wildlife), and the matter was accordingly referred to SBWL (State Board for Wildlife) also.

"On SBWL's recommendations, a two-member expert committee with local Forest officials was constituted on July 8, 2015. The panel visited the Tikok OCP (Open Cast Project) on April 21, 2016, and submitted its report to the Ministry on August 21, 2018. The report was also forwarded to the Government of Assam, on the recommendation of SBWL.

"The NBWL further examined the proposal, and on its recommendation constituted another two-member expert committee — which submitted its report to NBWL on October 2019." 

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