Shillong, Dec 4: The court-appointed BP Kataley committee has ordered a probe into the missing 40,554.72 MT of coal.
According to the 34th interim report by Katakey, the mining and geology should probe the shortage of 40,554.72 MT re-assessed/reverified inventoried coal in the CIL designated depots in East Jaintia Hills District .
The department has to submit a report in that regard within a fortnight.
Summary of Recommendations :
The Committee makes the following recommendations for kind consideration of thi Court :
(1) Identification of the vulnerable areas /villages where illegal coal mining activities generally occur, by the Deputy Commissioner with the help of the Superintendent of Police of the district and to increase the patrolling of those identified areas on regular basis, as the illegal coal mining activities in East Jaintia Hills District is most, which is also presently going on. All ingress and egress of the said areas are also required to be guarded and secured so that no illegally mined coal can be transported out of those vulnerable areas/ villages. The said exercise needs be supervised by the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police themselves personally, who shall submit their monthly detailed report including the action taken to stop illegal coal mining activities as well as the action taken as per law wherever illegal coal mining activities are found, to the Chief Secretary to the Govt. of Meghalaya or his authorized representatives, who shall not be below the rank of Additional Chief Secretary. The Chief Secretary/ Additional Chief Secretary shall issue necessary direction, from time to time, to ensure stoppage of illegal coal mining activities in East Jaintia Hills District.
(2) Immediate initiation of the process of auction of re-assessed/re-verified inventoried coal by the CIL with a view to dispose of entire such coal lying in different CIL designated depots without any further delay.
(3) Conduct of an enquiry by the Secretary, Mining and Geology Department, Govt. of Meghalaya as to the shortage of 40,554.72 MT of re-assessed/reverified inventoried coal in the CIL designated depots in East Jaintia Hills District and to submit a report in that regard within a fortnight.
(4) Immediate consideration and passing of necessary order on the applications submitted by Ruthina Marak and Rukmini Marak, by the appropriate authorities of South West Khasi Hills District, with the outer limit of 15 days, or which the necessary permission of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board shall also be obtained, so that the auctioned coal purchased by them could be transported on payment of the entire bid value and subject to the compliance of the revised Comprehensive Plan, 2022 as well as all other criteria in force.
(5) Immediate release of the required fund to the District Administration of East Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills District for demolition of the 16 Coke Oven plants in East Jaintia Hills District and 17 Coke Oven Plants in West Khasi Hills District and also to demolish such Coke Oven Plants, immediately, on receiving the fund, in terms of the 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, so as to rule out the possibility of the commencement of the production stealthily. Till such demolition, the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of the said districts shall ensure that said plants are not operating.
(6) Completion of the process of recovery of the amount of Rs. 530.59 lakh from 15 Coke oven plants and Rs. 1,31,37,800/- from M/S Shree Sakambari Ferro Alloy Pvt. Ltd urgently. A status report in that respect be submitted within 3 weeks.
(7) taking immediate steps by the Mining and Geology Department, Govt. of Meghalaya for obtaining the proposals from the concerned departments/ agencies, as only the proposals worth Rs. 20,21,93,813/- (Rs. 17,52,33,394/-already sanctioned by the Oversight Committee + Rs. 2,69,60,419/- pending before the Oversight Committee for consideration) has only been submitted out of Rs. 100 Crore kept in deposit with the Central Pollution Control Board, so that the amount kept in deposit with the CPCB may be utilized for the purpose for which the HmSupreme Court directed its utilization, instead of keeping in deposit in any bank account.
