Stating that the State government is serious about checking the illegal transportation of charcoal in the State, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today said that in view of this the Meghalaya Charcoal (Control of Production, Storage, Trade and Transport) Rules, 2008 has been amended in 2019.
According to Sangma, under the new rules, the producers and stockists of charcoal are required to apply for registration to the Divisional Forest Officer concerned and renewal of such registration can be done after a period of one year with the prior approval of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
Sangma was replying to a call attention motion moved by Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem who referred to a media report about a complaint lodged by Meghalaya Clean and Green Organisation to the Chief Forest Officer, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council regarding illegal transport of charcoal in the State.
The chief minister also said that several proactive measures are being undertaken by the Forest and Environment Department to contain illegal transport of charcoal by way of constituting patrolling teams of forest staff to detect illegal transport of charcoal, drawing offence reports, prosecuting the violators in competent courts of law, and seizing illegally transported or illegally stocked charcoal etc.
“The ferro-alloy industries, which are consumers of charcoal, are regularly inspected for any illegal storage and illegal use of charcoal in their plants,” he said.
Sangma informed that during the last five years, 23 cases in Ri-Bhoi and West Khasi Hills have been filed in the court for illegal transport, production or storage of charcoal.
He also said that in West Khasi Hills alone, 13 cases were filed in 2022 for illegal production of charcoal. Apart from these, two cases have been compounded for such offences in Ri-Bhoi district.
“Further, a total quantity of 95 metric tonnes of charcoal has been seized during the last five years and a total sum of Rs 2,60,000 has been realised as compounding fees. Recently, the DFO Nongstoin has attempted to control illegal production and transport of charcoal by requesting the District Magistrate to promulgate Section 144 CrPC in West Khasi Hills,” Sangma said.
Sangma said that the District Councils in exercise of jurisdiction conferred under these provisions of the Constitution have legislated their respective forest laws such as the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Management and Control of Forest) Act, 1958.
“Thus, vast forest areas which are under the private or community ownership falls under the jurisdiction of the Autonomous District Councils who are also expected to contribute their bit to control illegal production and transport of charcoal. It would be worthwhile to state that no case of illegal production of charcoal has been detected in either Reserved Forests or Protected Forests in Ri-Bhoi District and West Khasi Hills,” he said.
