Shillong,Jan 21: An independent probe can only find out about those involved in the disappearance of 13 lakh metric tonnes of coal out of the 32 lakh metric tonnes extracted prior to the ban on rat hole coal mining.
The court appointed committee headed by Justice (retd) BP Katakey found out that there were only 19 lakh metric tonnes of coal and not 32 lakh as shown by the government in affidavits before the courts.
The coal was supposed to be transported after the auctioning process under the guidance of Katakey.
This is what Katakey has to say when asked about the missing coal.
“I never accepted 32 lakh metric tonnes of coal. I had doubt about the veracity of the statement by the government.Therefore I got it verified from the deputy commissioners.
According to the deputy commissioners, there are only 19 lakh metric tonnes of coal.
There can be two possibilities, one is the figure of 32 lakh metric tonnes as stated in the affidavit is not correct or there were 32 lakh metric tonnes of coal but disappeared.
So the option is that they (coal miners) will try to replenish the stock with coal illegal mined after the imposition of NGT ban.
Even the 19 lakh metric tonnes of coal, I am trying to verify by drone survey. The report will be available soon”.
