Shillong, March 24: The one-man coal committee headed by retired justice BP Katakey will hold another meeting on Tuesday to examine the aerial survey report of coal dumping areas.
Katakey held a meeting on Monday regarding the report submitted on March 19.
The survey was carried out within one kilometer radius to assess the coal dumps in East Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and South Garo Hills. .
“The purpose was to see whether within one kilometre radius there is coal other than inventoried coal. Though the report was submitted, I wanted certain clarifications and I have asked them to give me those clarifications, which I expected to get tomorrow,” Katakey said.
Illegal coal mining in SGH
Regarding the complaints filed by four persons against illegal coal mining in South Garo Hills, Katakey said a report was submitted by a committee headed by Naba Bhattacharjee.
“There is a need to hold further inquiry and hence the government directed the deputy commissioner to conduct physical verification and submit a report within a week”, he added.
Scientific mining
To a question on scientific coal mining Katakey said, “There has to be an authority to oversee it. Nobody can rule out the possibility if the illegal mining of coal is here in Meghalaya but one thing I have been told that in permission and whatever permit is given for scientific mining there is a clause I have not seen it but I have been told where the responsibility has been fixed on scientific miners to close all pitheads found within one km radius of their operational area.”
According to Katakey, coal found outside the centralized depots set up by Coal India is illegal, hence any coal found other than the centralised depot or designated coal deposit area is illegal coal and therefore, it is the government’s responsibility to act as per MMDR Act.”
