Resolution to invoke 6th Schedule provision in Meghalaya

The Meghalaya Assembly today unanimously passed a resolution to urge the Centre to consider invoking a section of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to ensure that Central Mineral and Mining Laws do not apply in scheduled areas of the state.
Para 12A of the Sixth Schedule deals with "Application of Acts of Parliament and of the Legislature of the State of Meghalaya to autonomous districts and autonomous regions in the State of Meghalaya."
According to its Section (b), the President may issue a notification by which any Act of Parliament will not apply to an autonomous district or an autonomous region in Meghalaya or any part thereof and any such direction may have retrospective effect.

"This House now unanimously resolves that the Government of India is urged upon to consider the request of the government favourably and issue a Presidential notification accordingly," a resolution which was approved and adopted by the Assembly today said.
The resolution wants that following a Presidential notification, provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1957 shall not apply (or shall apply with modifications) to the autonomous region (Scheduled areas) in Meghalaya.
The resolution, tabled by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, was necessitated after the National Green Tribunal banned extraction and transportation of coal in Meghalaya while the state High Court asked all miners to get requisite permissions from all concerned before undertaking any mining activities.

In view of the NGT ban, the state has reportedly lost revenue worth Rs 600 crore in the last fiscal.
Meanwhile, Sangma today said he would soon convene a meeting of the Selection Committee to recommend constitution of a search committee which will in turn recommend the panel of names for the Lokayukta.