By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) on Wednesday adopted two resolutions during a Special Session, with all 30 Members of District Council (MDCs) backing proposals related to coal mining and tribal ownership of mineral resources.
Through the first resolution, the Council urged the Government of India to revoke the coal mining restrictions that came into effect following a 2014 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Council members maintained that restarting mining activities would provide economic benefits to local residents while also improving the financial condition of the district council.
The resolution marks the first occasion on which the JHADC has formally sought intervention from the Centre for the removal of the mining restrictions.
During the discussion, MDCs stated that the suspension of mining operations had significantly reduced the Council’s income over the years.
They said the discontinuation of royalty collections and the absence of challan-based revenue have affected the Council’s finances, limiting its capacity to undertake public infrastructure and welfare projects.
According to members, the resulting resource constraints have affected initiatives related to drinking water facilities, school maintenance, community infrastructure and other development works.
Representatives from different terms of the Council have previously raised similar concerns regarding the impact of the mining restrictions on the institution’s functioning.
The development comes as the Meghalaya government prepares to approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Coal Ministry seeking changes to the existing land requirement for scientific coal mining.
Miners have argued that the current 100-hectare threshold is unsuitable for the state’s geographical conditions and have proposed a reduced limit of around four to five hectares to facilitate legal small-scale mining.
The second resolution focused on the recognition of tribal mineral ownership. MDCs argued that existing mining laws do not adequately accommodate the traditional landholding system prevalent in Jaintia Hills, despite court rulings recognising tribal ownership of both surface and underground resources.
Changes introduced by Chief Executive Member Thombor Shiwat limited the proposal to small-scale mining ventures operated by individuals, families, clans, cooperatives and partnerships, with a maximum area of 0.5 hectare. The proposal would apply only within Jaintia Hills.
The Council also proposed that arrangements relating to royalty distribution should be jointly determined by the state government and the district council.
MDCs clarified that any future mining activity would remain subject to environmental regulations, forest laws, pollution-control requirements, and directions issued by the courts and regulatory authorities.
The Council said copies of the resolutions would be sent to the Governor, the Meghalaya government and concerned ministries of the Union government for further action.
It also proposed the creation of a dedicated registry in Jaintia Hills to record claims and ownership details related to minerals held by tribal communities.