SHILLONG, Nov 13: UDP leader and former deputy chief minister Bindo M Lanong on Saturday asked the state government to implement the Mines and Mineral Policy 2012.

“In 2012, the government had accepted the mining policy. They should implement and go by that policy,” Lanong, who is currently a nominated member of the KHADC, told reporters.

Referring to the negative impact of the 2014 NGT’s blanket ban on rat hole mining in the state, he said had the government implemented the, which was already ready in 2012, things would have been much better now.

During his term as the deputy chief minister in-charge of mining & geology in the Congress-led MUA-I state government, the Mines and Mineral Policy 2012 was finalized and submitted to the cabinet. The same year, the policy was also introduced in the winter session of the State Assembly.

Recently, the lone Rajya Sabha MP in the state Dr WR Kharlukhi had asserted that both Centre and state government should allow rat-hole coal mining to continue if they cannot start scientific mining in the state. According to him, the people have suffered so much due to the NGT ban on coal mining in Meghalaya.

“I will raise this issue in Parliament that if you (government) cannot do it (scientific mining), you allow them (to continue with the rat-hole mining). Otherwise why should my people suffer for the sake of a failure of a policy somewhere,” Dr Kharlukhi had stated.

When sought for his comment in this regard, Lanong said there should be some permissible limit on rat hole mining but scientific approach is very important.

“Going by the topography of the state, by the condition of the state, the rat hole has been there right from day one. There is no harm therefore in certain cases, in certain areas even that can be translated into scientific mining but in certain cases there is no harm. You can’t compare these mines here with the mines in Orissa or Bengal. Therefore, what is applicable there may not be hundred percent applicable here. So going by that personally speaking to some extent there should be some limitation, some permissible limit on rat hole mining but as I said scientific approach is very important,” he added.

Meanwhile, the former deputy chief minister however said that the state government should stop illegal mining and illegal transportation of coal.

“Even if you go for scientific mining, theft will still continue as thieves know their way. The thieves know their way. You mean to say if you introduce scientific mining theft will stop? They know their way. Therefore, illegal transportation of coal should be banned. No illegal mining, no illegal transportation of coal should be allowed,” he said.

Urging the people to file complaints against such illegalities, Lanong said, “We have the court of law where we can go and place our grievances so the judiciary will take care of this finally. Whatever you do, you do under the law. Mining, transporting all come under the law. When we go to the law, the law will take up the matter.”