Guwahati, Oct. 11 -- A technical team from the Union Coal Ministry has inspected coal-bearing areas in Meghalaya to evaluate the feasibility of restarting small-scale mining, more than a decade after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned rat-hole mining in the state in 2014.

The team, comprising officials from the Union Coal Ministry, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) and the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), visited mining areas in East Jaintia Hills and the Khasi Hills last week. Officials from Meghalaya's Directorate of Mineral Resources accompanied the team during the inspection.

Director of Mineral Resources M P Tongper said the visit was part of ongoing discussions between the state governmen...