Four mining leases approved for Meghalaya: CM Sangma

Shillong: The Central Government has approved four mining leases, paying the way for scientific coal mining in Meghalaya, said CM Conrad Sangma on Tuesday after a meeting between the Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) and the Department of Forest and Mining.

Sangma mentioned that the main objective is to work towards a plan for the reclamation of the mines.

“So whether it is minor minerals or major minerals, we have been working and there is a fund available with us for reclamation of the mines, and hence, this is a process which we want to start and we have been engaging with many agencies,” mentioned Sangma, adding, “We had a detailed meeting with them (CMPDIL) and we are working towards how we should move forward for this entire issue of mine reclamation.”

Emphasising scientific mining, Sangma said that the main hurdle was the mining lease.

“We have overcome the largest hurdle that we had for the process of scientific and legal mining to start in the state…once we have the public hearing and the forest clearance and the mining plan approved, which are just procedural aspects, we expect that in anything between 30 days to 45 days, these approvals will be done,” stated Sangma.

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