Shillong, Nov 3: The high-court appointed Katakey committee dealing with illegal coal mining has asked the government to demolish 33 illegal coke oven plants within one week.
The 33rd interim report report of the retired justice BP Katakey wanted demolition of the 33 (16 in East Jaintia Hills District and 17 in West Khasi Hills District) illegally set up coke oven plants, which have not complied with the
norms and as directed by ‘the Supreme Court vide order dated 25/11/2024 passed in Writ Petition (Civil) No 720/2023 (Druk Fuel Limited –
Vs- The State of Meghalaya and Others) and batch’, within a period of one
week and to submit the compliance report, so as to curb the illegal coal
mining activities in the state, including mining and transportation.
Other recommendations
Conduct of inspection by the MSPCB, every three months, to ensure that no illegal coke oven plant is established and operated, so as to take the required steps for demolition of any coke oven plants which are set-up without the required permissions/consents from the appropriate department of the Govt as well as MSPCB.
It was also recommended submission of an action taken report by the Mining and Geology Department as well as the MSPCB on the previous report to be submitted by the MSPCB, every three months.
Immediate completion audit of source of coal of the remaining Ferro Alloy Plants and Captive Power Plants of the cement companies with the outer time limit of one month and also initiation of appropriate proceeding for recovery of the amount, if any, found to be due by such plants.
Issuance of notification incorporating of the amendment relating to the time limit for payment of bid value and lifting of the purchased coal as well as consequence of non-compliance by the auction purchasers, as approved by the Oversight Committee in its meeting held on 09/07/2025, within a week.
Urgent consideration of the 3 proposals pending before the Oversight Committee and for taking the necessary decision, with the outer time limit of 15 days.
Immediate shifting of 920.73 MT illegally mined coal in the Rajaju and Diengngan to CIL designated depot No. 7 at Nongjri and also to take required steps for auction the coal under the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (the MMDR Act).
Immediate commencement of the process of reaching out of all the coal dumps/locations as found by M/S Garuda UAV in the aerial survey conducted by it, since according to the Deputy Commissioners themselves such process could be initiated from the month of October, 2025 and to complete the same by 31/12/2025, in respect of East Jaintia Hills District and by 30/11/2025 in respect of South West Khasi Hills District and West Khasi Hills District and also to take appropriate actions under the provisions of MMDR Act, 1957, including shifting of such illegally mined coal to a centralized place in the respective districts. A report in that regard is also recommended to be submitted.
Initiation of the process for recovery of aforesaid amount of Rs. 530.59 Lakh from 15 Coke Oven Plants and Rs. 1,71,77,100/- from M/S Sakambari Ferro Alloy Pvt. Ltd. and to ensure logical conclusion of such process within a reasonable period of time, so that the aforesaid amount could be recovered.
Immediate lodging of the FIR against 21 persons, out of 22, who have filed the application dated 28/05/2024 and claimed to have extracted the coal but on physical verification no coal was found, in the respective police stations and to pursue the same to the logical conclusion.
Taking appropriate action under the provisions of the MMDR Act, 1957 in respect of 5946 MT of coal found against the application filed by Sri C. Dkhar and 21 others and also to lodge FIR in the appropriate Police Station against the other applicants as no coal has been found on physical verification though they claimed to have mined the coal.
Immediate initiation of the process for auction of re-assessed/re-verified inventoried coal presently lying in the various CIL designated depots, in compliance with the Revised Comprehensive Plan, 2022, after amendment as per the approval granted by the Oversight Committee in its proceeding dated 09/07/2025 and also in strict compliance of the requirement of clauses 8(j) and 10(p) of the said Revised Comprehensive Plan, 2022, pending finalization of the process of finding out of more efficacious and reliable method of auction, so that the available such coal in the CIL designated depots could be sold and transported in terms of the order passed by the Supreme Court at the earliest.
