Shillong, Dec 3: In a setback to a challenge against a government norm seen as favouring big players in “scientific” coal mining, the Meghalaya High Court has dismissed a plea that sought revision of a criterion related to minimum area of mining to be eligible for a mining licence.
The clause that “an application for prospecting license for coal shall be for an area not less than 100 hectares” as per an office memorandum issued on 5 March 2021 was challenged by one Regeenal Shylla from Moolang in East Jaintia Hills.
Rejecting the plea, the court, however, observed that the particular eligibility criterion was “left open to be examined technically in future”.
“Though the area by the SOP has been fixed at 1 sq. km. that is 100 hectares, the proposal to reduce the minimum area to 50 hectares, was left open to be examined technically in future, as such, it is not that the prescription of 100 hectares is final, and not subject to review by the state government,” a bench headed by Justice HS Thangkhiew stated on Monday.
The court also noted that the SOP was in compliance with the Supreme Court order in the case between State of Meghalaya and All Dimasa Students’ Union and other relevant norms.
