Centre to Set Up Panel After Meghalaya Seeks Section 26 Mining Powers

Overview

• Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma formally asked the Union Coal and Mines Minister on July 7 for delegation under Section 26 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act to allow the state to give prior approvals and clear mining plans.
• The state argues Meghalaya’s Sixth Schedule land system means minerals are owned by individuals, clans and communities and that the national approval model is impractical for thin, scattered small holdings.
• The Union minister proposed forming a central committee to examine the state’s memorandum and the committee is expected to be constituted shortly, with no immediate transfer of powers promised.
• Meghalaya says the 2014 National Green Tribunal ban on rat-hole mining and the 2021 SOP that sets a 100-hectare minimum concession have deprived thousands of families of legal livelihoods and cost the state royalty and tax revenue.
• Officials plan technical talks in the coming days to explore safer, tech-assisted tunnel mining and a regulatory framework that ties any delegation to strict environmental protections, worker-safety rules and central technical oversight.