Meghalaya High Court takes tough stand on illegal coal

The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the State government to ensure “not an ounce of illegally-mined coal” is allowed to be transported in trucks or other vehicles. The court told Meghalaya’s Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police that they would be accountable if any form of illegally-mined coal is discovered being transported in the State. “The DGP will instruct all superintendents of police in the various districts to ensure that they are put on notice that if illegally-mined coal in the State is found to have originated in or passed through their jurisdiction, they shall be held in contempt,” said while hearing a suo motu PIL on illegal mining and transportation of coal in Meghalaya on October 18. “Apart from the dangerous form of rat-hole mining that is undertaken, particularly in the eastern part of the state, there are murmurs that illegally-mined coal is smuggled out of the state and is returned for apparent export to a neighbouring country on the basis of fabricated documents to suggest that the coal originated in some other State,” it said.