Meghalaya HC pulls up chief secretary, DGP over illegal coal mining in the state

The Meghalaya high court on Monday sought to know why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against both the chief secretary and the director general of police of the state for their apparent inaction and failure to check illegal coal mining operations and transportation in the State. The full bench consisting of chief justice Sanjib Bannerjee and justice HS Thangkhiew Wanlura Diengdoh directed both the chief secretary and director general of police to file personal affidavits responding to the facts and the observations indicated in the 13th interim report filed by justice BP Katakey, who is spearheading the National Green Tribunal inquiry into rampant illegal coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya. The report refers to the fact that preceding the field visit conducted on May 10, 2023, there were no coal dumps other than the coal in depot No.9, which was a designated depot and the huge quantity of coal found all over the place “are illegally mined and transported coal.” “There is a further observation that no action either by the civil administration or the police administration or by any officer authorised under the Mines and Mineral Act, 1957 has been taken for illegal storage and transportation of such huge quantity of coal and that not a single case so far has been registered, not even a complaint filed,” the court observed. The dare devil act of the coal mafias of transportation and dumping of huge quantity of coal within 2 kilometres from the Shallang Police Station and non-initiation of any action in respect of the said coal reflect the apathy of the officers of the concerned departments in stopping the illegal coal mining activities. The officers of the concerned departments including the civil and police administration appeared to be the silent spectators of the illegal coal mining activities.” Observing that the matter pertaining to the rampant illegal mining and illegal transportation of illegally mined coal has been brought to the notice of the highest officials of the state, including in the police and in the civil administration, the court said, “Such officials may do well to refer to the original orders passed by the National Green Tribunal and the orders passed by the Supreme Court endorsing the prohibition of illegal mining.” “This is most important since the State now plans to open scientific mining.