Guwahati: A Central government team may travel to Meghalaya in October to assess the feasibility of scientific coal mining in the state, NPP Sutnga-Saipung legislator Santa Mary Shylla said on Thursday.
The possible visit emerged from a meeting between Shylla and Additional Secretary (Mining and Geology) Rupinder Brar, with officials from the Directorate of Mineral Resources and the Law Department also present.
The discussion was linked to earlier talks held between Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy. Shylla described the outcome of the latest meeting as “very positive”.
Presentations were made by the state government as well as the Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI), which shared its assessment during the meeting.
Central officials indicated that they would come to Meghalaya to examine the practical aspects of scientific mining, Shylla said. The exact date has not been decided, although the visit is expected during the first or second week of October.
Several difficulties had been outlined in the memorandum submitted by the Chief Minister to the Centre.
The state has sought smaller mining blocks, saying this would make scientific mining more suitable for Meghalaya’s terrain and existing landholdings.
The memorandum also addressed open-cast mining, which the state considers unsuitable because of the high cost involved and the environmental damage it could cause.
Land ownership presents another issue, as most land in Meghalaya belongs to private owners rather than the government, unlike in states with large mineral-bearing areas under government control.
According to Shylla, the Chief Minister had specifically included this concern in the memorandum, requiring the Centre to consider how scientific mining could be conducted on privately owned land while respecting the rights of local people.
The matter has been under consideration by officials since 2019, she said. However, Shylla said the latest discussions were the first time she felt the Government of India was “very positive and ready to help Meghalaya and its people”.
Further efforts will be made by the state government, while the Chief Minister will continue pursuing the matter at the political level.
The proposed October visit would allow the Centre to examine on site whether scientific mining can be carried out within Meghalaya’s terrain and private landholding system.