Shillong, Aug. 7: The Meghalaya forest department has stopped issuing challans for exporting limestone from the state to Bangladesh.

Government sources said today the decision was taken after Meghalaya High Court passed the order on June 30 banning mining activities in the state.

The two-judge bench of Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice T.N.K. Singh passed the judgment after hearing a petition related to collection of compensatory fee from trucks transporting coal and limestone for reclamation of un-classed forest which falls under the jurisdiction of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council.

The judgment said, "Except in cases where licence for extraction of minerals has already been granted or lease deed has already been entered into in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court in the judgments referred to, all other mining activities shall have to stop and in future."

The judgment said the state shall not grant any licence or enter into a lease deed for extraction of minerals without consultation with the central empowered committee constituted by the apex court, drawing a comprehensive scheme and creating a fund for reclamation in the interest of sustainable development and inter-generational equity, and for the purpose of rectifying the damage caused to forest and environment.

However, limestone exporters, under the banner of All-Meghalaya Limestone Exporters Forum, told reporters here today that they did not know the specific reason behind the decision of the forest department to stop issuing export challans.

"The export challan has not been issued for the last 10 days. As of now, the exporters could export limestone already in stock by using old challans available with them," forum chief adviser and spokesperson Dolly Khonglah said.

The forum is a body of exporters from Khasi hills, who export limestone to Bangladesh through checkpoints along the international border in Dawki, Majai, Bakli, Mawlong and Shella.

Khonglah said the limestone exporters have been paying an advance royalty of Rs 84 per metric tonne to the forest department for exporting limestone to Bangladesh besides paying a cess of Rs 40 per metric tonne to the directorate of mineral resources under the state mining department.

She said that at least 500 trucks were ferrying limestone via Dawki and Majai at a permissible capacity of nine metric tonnes per vehicle.

However, owing to the dilapidated condition of the roads, each truck ferried only seven metric tonnes from Bakli and about 200 trucks plied on the route daily.

But the exporters also use boats to export limestone to Bangladesh from Shella and Mawlong and each boat can carry one metric tonne.

"In a day, at least 1,000 boats ferry limestone via the Shella and Mawlong export points," Khonglah said.

The forum also sought to know if the supply of limestone has been stopped to the cement factories in the state.