Meghalaya:Parties Divided by Politics,united over Coal mining

With the build up to the 2018 already starting parties who are looking to get support from the Influential Coal lobby have started to lobby with the centre for the revocation of the Coal Ban in the state of Meghalaya.

The winter months are the time when maximum coal extractions are done ,after the heavy monsoons in Meghalaya .So the hurry to lift the ban is even more as the time draws closer.

In the latest of development the Meghalaya  unit of the BJP has also agreed in sending a delegation to meet Union Coal Minister Piyush Goyal and Forest and Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave to seek clarification on the issue of ban on coal mining in the state besides seeking the status of the mining plan which was submitted by the State government as per the directives of the NGT.

Even a few weeks earlier a delegation of coal owners had also seemed audience from officials and were accompanied by non other that the Congress MP Vincent Pala.

The other regional parties such as UDP,HSPDP have remained tight lipped on the issue but it is widely believed that they would not oppose lifting of the coal ban in the state.

Shibun Lyngdoh the BJP state President had said that people were suffering in the state due to the ban , the same views were echoed by Vincent Pala , the congress Mp.

The question now remains to many though is that is the interest of a  handful of few rich coal mine owners represent the overall degradation of the environment of the state.

There are many which also say that the economy of the state has been badly affected by the NGT Coal ban and the royalties by the state government has been badly affected.

Skeptics however feel that the Ban has helped in promoting other aspects of the state such as tourism and also curbed illegal migration of labor,including children who were working on rat hole mining in the state.

But in the state of Meghalaya where political parties are divided on issues are speaking on one voice for a change – and the issue is the resumption of Coal mining.

For the moment the environment and damage to the ecology can wait ,atleast till elections are over in a couple of years .