SHILLONG, JULY 7: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Thursday decided to seek exemption on traditional mining of minor minerals from the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules (MMMCR), 2016.

Replying to a motion raised in the ongoing KHADC session by Congress member from Mylliem Ronnie V Lyngdoh on the ban on sand and stone quarrying, KHADC chief Titosstarwell Chyne informed that he had written a letter to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on May 19, requesting his intervention for amendment of the MMMCR, 2016.

“The executive committee (EC) will conduct a follow up on the matter and will suggest the state government to further relax the rules by exempting traditional mining from the MMMCR, 2016,” he said.

He said the MMMCR is an offshoot of the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, which seeks to prohibit mining of sands and stones without mining and quarrying permit. The MMDR Act, 1957 is also applicable in tribal areas of the state.

According to him, the National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s decision to ban the sand and stone mining and issuing of various prohibiting orders by the forest department as well as the deputy commissioners have to a great extent affected the people of the state.

On June 27, the state Cabinet had approved the amendment of the MMMCR, 2016.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had said earlier because there was no clarity and because of certain provisions, the permission for sand mining was not being given by the different departments of the government.

“Now after this decision has been made, there is clarity and the process of giving necessary mining licenses or leases to whomever wishes to mine in riverbeds will be granted based on this particular amendment,” he had stated.

Chyne however said that the state government is yet to discuss stone quarrying.

“But we are not talking about stone quarrying, we are talking about traditional mining and the needs to preserve it,” he said adding “Therefore, allow the EC to follow up so that the government can take necessary action to provide relief to the people, who depend on their livelihood from such activities.”

The CEM said the government should strike a balance by ensuring that protection of the environment does not compromise livelihood activities of the tribal people.