Shillong, Apr 26: Over 75,000 MT of coal is yet to be transported to the designated depots. These include 5,000 MT of coal in West Khasi Hills and 70,000 MT in East Jaintia Hills.
This was informed by Justice BP Katakey, who is heading the Single Member Committee appointed by the Meghalaya High Court, after a meeting held on Friday.
“West Khasi Hills deputy commissioner has assured to get the 5,000 MT of coal transported by tomorrow while the remaining 70,000 MT of coal, I have asked the DC of East Jaintia Hills to verify the existence of the 70,000 MT of coal and get it transported to the designated depot within 15 days from now so that we can have entire inventoried coal in the designated depot under the control of the state government,” he said
Over 3 lakh metric tons out of 14 lakh metric tons of reassessed/reverified inventoried coal is yet to be auctioned in Meghalaya.
“The remaining auction would be around 3 lakh metric tons out of 14 lakh metric tons. However, the exact figure is difficult to say,” Katakey told reporters.
He said a little over 14 lakh metric tons of coal have been reassessed and not 32 lakh metric tons of coal as stated earlier in the affidavit filed before the Supreme Court.
Katakey preferred a drone survey and said, “We are proposing to have a drone survey. We also want to take the assistance of NESAC people and we have invited them for the next meeting to explore the possibility of satellite imagery of those coal producing areas to find out whether any more coal is available.”
“If we find availability of any mined coal on land that is illegally mined coal, the entire coal will be seized and no amount will be paid to coal owners and the entire amount will go to the exchequer of the state for the benefit of Meghalaya,” he added.
