Shillong, July 12: The State Coordination Committee of Coal Owners, Miners, Exporters & Dealers’ Forum on Sunday thanked Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for initiating steps to restart small-scale underground scientific coal mining in Meghalaya.
Forum chairman Sonny L Khyriem said a delegation met the chief minister last month and submitted a petition and presentation on resuming scientific mining.
He credited the chief minister’s follow-up after meeting the Union Minister of Coal and Mines in New Delhi for the progress. “The prompt and committed action initiated by the Chief Minister… has indeed paved a new path on how coal mining could be resumed in the State,” Khyriem said.
According to him, the union minister has assured the formation of a joint State-Centre committee to work out the modalities.
“The Forum… hugely congratulates with immense gratitude on the timely action by the Chief Minister and are hopeful that the efforts put-in would materialise at the earliest possible, thereby bringing rays of hope to coal miners who had long suffered owing to the issue of coal impasse,” he stated.
Khyriem also acknowledged support from Deputy CMs Prestone Tynsong and Sngiawbhalang Dhar, MLAs Kyrmen Shylla, Gabriel Wahlang, Santa Mary Shylla, Pius Marwein, and former MLAs Gigur Myrthong, Shitlang Pale and Justin Dkhar for backing the cause of coal miners.
The forum said it is hopeful the joint committee will help end the long-standing impasse and allow regulated mining to resume in the state.
