The Meghalaya High Court has decided to deploy personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to monitor and check illegal mining and transportation of coal in the State.
During today’s hearing of a suo motu PIL on the matter, Deputy Solicitor-General N Mozika told the full bench of the High Court that the CRPF is available to augment the policing duty ordinarily undertaken by the State police.
Mozika also informed the court that there are companies and battalions of CRPF available both in Shillong and in Guwahati if there be need for such deployment.
On this, the High Court directed the State government to indicate the ideal number of companies of CRPF personnel necessary “to effectively monitor and check the prohibition on unscientific mining of coal, including rat-hole mining, and the transportation of the recently illegally mined coal”.
“The modalities will also have to be worked out by Justice Katakey so that the State, which has thus far been ineffective in either implementing the ban or in checking illegal transportation, is given a less of a role in the further monitoring and CRPF can have a more aggressive role in such regard,” the court added.
According to the High Court, in several areas of the State, for want of alternative livelihood, common citizens have taken to dangerous mining methods.
“It is almost a social malaise. People who have been involved in such forms of mining for a long period of time have to be weaned out and for such purpose, the State has to devise schemes and provide alternative forms of livelihood. Awareness and education would also go a long way in arresting the menace. The entire saga of illegal mining cannot be seen to be the handiwork of a specific class of persons,” the court said.
On the report dated February 6, 2023 filed by Justice B P Katakey (retired), the State government has filed a report dated February 13, 2023 enclosing the post-mortem reports pertaining to the recent deaths due to rat-hole mining in Khliehriat. However, such postmortem reports are not legible.
Since Advocate-General Amit Kumar has legible copies in hand to file immediately, the court allowed such legible copies to be taken on record.
The next hearing on the matter will be held on February 28. The court also directed the State government to pay a further ad hoc remuneration of Rs 2 lakh to Justice Katakey.
