Shillong, July 14: Following the “positive” discussions with the Centre, the state government is hopeful of finding a way forward for small-scale mining, allowing small-time miners to resume their business, Cabinet Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, Shylla thanked Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for raising the concerns of Jaintia Hills miners while asserting that scientific mining is now a real possibility with the present technology.
He recalled that while the National People’s Party (NPP) led government succeeded in getting the NGT ban on coal mining in Meghalaya lifted, rat-hole mining remains banned.
The government has since helped miners obtain mining plans and start scientific mining, he said.
However, Shylla pointed out that most mines in the region are small-scale, making it difficult to comply with current norms. This led to major protests last month demanding approval for small-scale mining.
He said a study and presentation was made before the Chief Minister’s Delhi visit.
“The meeting was quite positive, and the Union Minister liked the idea. They will explore it,” Shylla said.
“As of now, the process has gone smoothly. Hopefully we will come up with a solution for small-scale mining,” he added.
