After the coal owners failed to apply for the transit pass, the Meghalaya High Court today that the remaining coal of 1.5 lakh metric tons in East Jaintia Hills should be transported to the designated depots within this month itself, failing which the coal will be seized and taken into custody by the State government and auctioned off within one month thereafter by the Coal India Limited.
The order was passed by the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh after examining an updated status report and reply to the 19th interim report of Justice (Retd) B P Katakey filed by the State government. The status report gave details regarding the transportation of remaining re-inventoried coal in various districts from the pitheads, to the designated depots of Coal India Ltd.
The status report of East Jaintia Hills stated that out of the total quantity of 10,04,587.502 metric tons of re-inventoried coal, transit passes for over 8.54 metric tons of coal have been issued for transportation from the pitheads to the Coal India Limited designated depots.
However, for the remaining quantity of approximately 1.5 lakh metric tons, transit passes are yet to be issued, in spite of availability of space in the depots in the district. The report said that the coal owners are not approaching the office of the Deputy Commissioner for applying for the transit passes, in spite of public notices which have been issued.
“In this view of the matter, to expedite the auction of the inventorised coal, it is directed that the remaining coal of 1.5 lakh metric tons should be transported to the designated depots within this month itself, failing which the coal will be seized and taken into custody by the State Government and auctioned off within one month thereafter, by the Coal India Limited,” the High Court said.
According to the High Court, the sale proceeds of such seized coal, shall be entirely deposited into the government fund, after payment to the Coal India Limited for the auction, and levy as applicable to the Meghalaya Environmental Protection and Restoration Fund (MEPRF). For this process, the court also directed that public notices should be published by the concerned authorities, and the information widely circulated immediately.
The status report also mentioned the amounts of coal in the various districts which are yet to be transported, and transit passes issued.
In respect of South Garo Hills, West Khasi Hills, and South West Khasi Hills, the process of issuance of transit passes and transportation of the entire remaining re-inventoried coal from the pitheads to the depots will be completed by end of February.
It has also been set out in the status report that other compliances are underway with regard to the processing of the applications for scientific coal mining in the State, the closure of existing coal mine pits, the setting up of integrated check gates with mineral tracking and as also the status of audit of source of coal used by the coke oven plants/ferro alloy plants and cement plants.
A 20th interim report has also been filed by Justice (Retired) B P Katakey, wherein certain recommendations and observations have been made. The High Court has also directed the State government to furnish a status report at the next hearing on March 14.
