Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma informed the Assembly on Monday that the Meghalaya government is actively pursuing clearance from the Government of India to classify traditional mining as a non-mining activity. He emphasized the need to simplify format and ease the entire permit sanctioning and permit authorizing process for small-scale miners.
Sangma explained, “Basically, from the government side the rules and the provisions that have been laid down, had certain criteria in terms of the size of the quarry, or that particular mine, the depth of mine. Based on the size of the mines and the quarry and the depth of the mines and the Quarries different permits had to be taken by the person who’s applying.”
Recognizing the difficulties faced by small-time miners, he stated, “We realized that the smaller, the very small miners, were practicing more of our traditional mining practices and also we realized that the activity was more for local use and for use at the village level or small construction work taking place at the local levels.”
To address this, the government formed a committee under the Deputy Chief Minister, comprising MLAs, mining and forest department officials, legal experts, and representatives of mining stakeholders. Sangma noted, “Two meetings were conducted by this particular committee and recommendations have been put that the entire procedure for traditional quarry permits should be given, which should be made very simple and very easy.”
The committee proposed that only two key documents be required: “One is that it’s not a forest land and number two, the no objection from the Headman. Just these two papers and the permits will be granted to these people.”
Sangma highlighted legal provisions allowing the state to seek an exemption, stating, “There is basically an appendix nine in this where there is the section 11 of the entry level of this appendix, which says that activities declared by state government under legislations or rules as non-mining activity, with concurrence of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, those activities can be exempted from the purview of this environment act.”
Clarifying that mining in Meghalaya has not been halted, he assured, “Sir, there is no stoppage of any kind of mining activity in the state as of now just to make it clear to everybody. Anybody can apply for mining license or for acquiring permit, anybody. The problem is that the provisions as per the act require a large number of documents to be submitted.” He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to easing bureaucratic hurdles, adding, “We are coming out with these new provisions, which will allow miners to apply in a very simple format and ease the entire permit sanctioning and permit authorizing process.”
Sangma also emphasized that stone mining and sand quarrying in Meghalaya remain strictly regulated, stating, “Stone mining and sand quarrying in the State of Meghalaya is strictly regulated in accordance with the provisions of Meghalaya Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2016 as amended till date, which is as per Section 15 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (Central Act No. 67 of 1957). The sand quarrying is regulated additionally in accordance with the provisions of Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016 and Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020 which have been notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change.”