A public meeting at Phra Mer in West Jaintia Hills district to discuss the ban on coal mining in Meghalaya. File picture
Shillong, March 16: The
National Green Tribunal (NGT) today issued notices to high-ranking
Meghalaya government officials and two coalmine owners after a report
pointed out that the tribunal's directions had been violated.
The tribunal's principal bench, which passed its orders in New Delhi, also refused to allow transportation of coal in the state.
"We have perused the report filed by the
three learned local commissioners. It shows that upon physical
inspection, the commissioners have found that all directions of the
tribunal are being violated. They have annexed photographs and record of
the weighbridges to the report and have referred to the statements of
parties who were found to be involved in illegal mining and
transportation," the principal bench, headed by tribunal chairperson
Justice Swatanter Kumar, said in its order.
The tribunal had constituted a team of
local commissioners on January 29 to visit weighbridges, mining sites
and places where implementation of the orders was expected and to
periodically report to the tribunal about the implementation of orders
passed from time to time.
The bench ordered issuance of notice to
the Meghalaya secretary of mining and geology, the director of mining,
the additional director-general of police, the deputy commissioner and
superintendent of police of East Jaintia Hills and the owners (Sarkia
Pawa and Prakash Pawa) of the mines from which illegal mining has been
carried out.
"Let all these people be present before
the tribunal and show cause why, in exercise of jurisdiction vested in
this tribunal, the following directions should not be passed," the bench
ordered.
The above persons have to show cause why
"attachment of properties and bank accounts of the state; why for
intentional default to comply with the directions and orders which shall
be executable like decree of the civil court, they would not be
detained in the civil prison, and why they should not be directed to pay
compensation for restoration of the environment resulting from illegal
and unauthorised mining" (sic).
The superintendent of police of the
district concerned (East Jaintia Hills) has to ensure the presence of
all the parties before the tribunal at the next hearing.
"We further direct that until our further
order, there shall be no transportation of coal in Meghalaya. All of
these officers shall be present and the original records of these
weighbridges placed before the tribunal on the next date of hearing,"
the bench stated.
The counsel appearing for the state
government submitted that the operation of the above order be deferred
by two days to enable them to do the needful and ensure the presence of
all these officers on the next date of hearing to be held on Friday.
The bench allowed deferment of the implementation of the order it passed today till the next date of hearing.
As the three-month deadline issued by the
NGT for transportation of extracted and assessed coal ended on February
11, coalminers had approached the tribunal seeking further relaxation of
the transportation period.
Chief minister Mukul Sangma, in a reply in
the Assembly recently, had informed that 11,56,743 metric tonne of coal
was transported from various depots of the state within the grace
period allowed by the NGT and the royalty collected by the government
was Rs 132,25,43,299.
He said the total quantum of extracted
coal was assessed at 87,13,103.221 MT and the total quantum of assessed
coal lying in various depots was 75,56,360.221 MT.
MINE OVER MATTER
* April 17, 2014: NGT bans rat-hole mining and transportation of coal in Meghalaya
* Sept. 1, 2014: NGT gives clearance for transportation of extracted and assessed coal
* March 9, 2015: Meghalaya government admits revenue dip because of adverse impact of NGT ban
* March 16, 2015: The government pegs revenue loss in 2014-15 at around Rs 600 crore
Union coal ministry constituted expert group, led by the Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited, to prepare broad guidelines for coal mining in the state. Directorate General of Mines Safety tasked to prepare the guidelines on health, occupational safety and related issues
* Sept. 1, 2014: NGT gives clearance for transportation of extracted and assessed coal
* March 9, 2015: Meghalaya government admits revenue dip because of adverse impact of NGT ban
* March 16, 2015: The government pegs revenue loss in 2014-15 at around Rs 600 crore
Union coal ministry constituted expert group, led by the Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited, to prepare broad guidelines for coal mining in the state. Directorate General of Mines Safety tasked to prepare the guidelines on health, occupational safety and related issues