Cabinet approves hike in export fees of limestones, boulders

The Meghalaya cabinet today approved hike in export fees of limestone, boulders and other minor minerals and other forest produce aimed at raising revenue collected from them from Rs six crore to Rs about Rs 15 crore per year.
"The cabinet has approved the proposal to raise export fees of minor minerals and forest produce of the state," Forest and Environment minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters after the cabinet meeting today.
He said the hike in the export fees would help government generate an increasing amount of income for the exchequer.
The export fees on all these items were last revised in 1999.

The cabinet has approved to raise the export fees from Rs 300 to Rs 1000 per truck on minor minerals such as lime stone, boulders and sand while export fees of timber such round timber and cane will be raised from Rs 500 and Rs 300 respectively to Rs 5000 per truck.
The export rate for sawn timber and firewood have also been raised from Rs 200 to Rs 2000 while bamboo and broom stick have been raised from Rs 100 to Rs 1000 and Rs 60 to Rs 500 respectively, Tynsong said.

Meanwhile, the cabinet has also approved the amendment of Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order (MMPO), Assam Act 1947 adopted by the state with an aim to make effective enforcement of the law.

"We are including two more sections - 6 (b) and 6 (c) to the existing 6 (a) of the MMPO Act which the proposals was approved by the cabinet," Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Law, Rowell Lyngdoh, said.
The cabinet has also approved the amendment of Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code besides introducing the Poison Amendment Bill, 2013 to regulate on the sale and storage of different categories of acids.
The Bill will be introduced in the House during the session beginning this week in view of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the need to regulate and control sales of acidic substances.

"The Bill will ensure that people who have criminal minds to use acid to harm others can be prevented to a great extent. It will act as a deterrent," the deputy chief minister said.