A transition period is essential for people to adopt the mooted mining ideas under the State's mining policy, feels Meghalaya Minister in-charge of Geology and Mining Donkupar Massar. Keeping in view the unscientific way of coal mining in the State, the Government is developing a mining policy that will enable the people to tap natural resources without any environmental hazards. The mining policy has not taken a concrete shape, but with scientific guidelines becoming apparent, rigid implementation will place the unscientific miners on tenterhooks. The miners had been adopting the unscientific