‘Presidential notification’

SHILLONG, SEPT 24: A resolution was passed on Thursday in the Meghalaya assembly urging the union government to issue a Presidential notification so that national laws related to coalmining are not made applicable to the hill state.

Chief minister Mukul Sangma moved the resolution and informed the house that the state government had submitted a “proposal” to the centre to issue a Presidential notification under Paragraph 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution for exemption from some central laws.

Sangma  said proposal was for exemption from the conditions of previous approval of the Centre laid down in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, as amended, and also for the exemption from the operation of the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973, and Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957 in the Autonomous Region (Scheduled Areas) in Meghalaya.

On March 23 last, the assembly unanimously approved and adopted a resolution to urging the centre to favourably consider the request of the state government, and to issue a Presidential notification accordingly.

Thursday’s resolution was in pursuance of the March 23 resolution , Sangma said adding Meghalaya considered submitting a “specific proposal” to the Centre to issue a Presidential notification so that relevant sections and sub-sections of the three central laws would not apply to the Autonomous Region (Scheduled Areas) of the state.

The assembly unanimously adopted and passed the resolution.- By Our Reporter