Meghalaya Asks Centre to Delegate Section 26 Coal‑Mining Powers

Overview

• Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma met Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy and on Tuesday, July 7, submitted a formal representation requesting delegation of Section 26 powers so the state can grant prior approvals and mining plans.
• The Union minister proposed constituting a central committee to examine the proposal and a panel is expected to be formed shortly to study legal, technical and environmental aspects.
• Sangma argued the state’s Sixth Schedule land system vests land and mineral rights in individuals, clans and communities, which makes the current New Delhi and Indian Bureau of Mines approval process impractical for small, scattered holdings.
• The 2021 Standard Operating Procedure’s 100-hectare minimum concession rule effectively bars most tribal coal owners from leases, and Meghalaya says the ban and rules since the 2014 NGT restraint have cost thousands their livelihoods and reduced state revenues.
• Any change must meet court and environmental tests set by the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court, which in 2019 affirmed tribal ownership but required compliance with the MMDR Act and environmental laws.