Guwahati: Rajya Sabha MP Wanweiroy Kharlukhi on Thursday raised concerns over the impact of the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) coal mining ban in Meghalaya, urging the Centre to expedite permission for scientific mining.
He also warned that the ban has indirectly contributed to a rise in drug smuggling in former coal-mining areas.
Speaking during Zero Hour, the National People’s Party MP stated that the 2014 ban has severely affected thousands of families dependent on coal for their income.
“Coal supports the livelihoods of thousands of families. The right to earn is a fundamental right, and my people have been deprived of it,” he said.
Kharlukhi noted that the ban has also weakened autonomous district councils, which relied on coal as their main source of revenue. “District council staff went without pay for months,” he added, supporting Assam MPs’ calls to amend the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to strengthen district councils in the Northeast.
The MP highlighted that the state government previously collected over Rs 600 crore annually in coal cess, which funded education. “After the ban, collections dropped to zero. For the first four to five years, teachers had to protest in the streets for their salaries,” he said.
While appreciating the government’s move to allow scientific mining, Kharlukhi expressed concern over increasing drug-related incidents. “Recent arrests indicate a rise in drug smuggling, particularly in coal block areas.
The government must address this to prevent Meghalaya from becoming a corridor for drug trafficking,” he warned.