Kohima, Jan 7 (IANS) The Nagaland Cabinet on Monday decided to ban illegal coal mining in the state and also impose a provisional mining ban on all firms/companies which have been issued with mining licenses.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio which deliberated on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in view of the coal mining accidents in Meghalaya.

The Cabinet set up a Committee to examine the issue of coal mining and the resultant damages caused to the environment.

Nagaland is estimated to have a prognostic reserves of about 316.41 million tones of coal.

--IANS rrk/mr