Advocate General Amit Kumar today said that the State government has asked the police to trace out the original operators of coke plants in the State and bring them to book. He also said that the government is ready to shut down all illegal coke plants.
During hearing of a PIL filed by Shailendra Kumar before the full bench of the High Court, the Advocate General said that additional penal provisions have been incorporated in the original FIRs to facilitate such a process to book the persons.
Deputy Solicitor General of India Dr. Nitesh Mozika who appeared on behalf of the Central government told the court that after orders have been passed for shutting illegal coke plants, the real persons who started the illegal operations may have abandoned most of the coke plants and the local persons or the workers may have taken over their reduced operations. He suggested that the identification of the kingpins should not be a difficult job “as they are well known”.
The High Court said that if the real culprits are well known, the State government must take appropriate action against them in accordance with law.
Meanwhile, the State government also informed that there is no impediment to shutting down all illegally operating coke plants in the State.
The High Court meanwhile has given the petitioner the liberty to approach Justice (retired) B P Katakey who has been appointed to monitor the implementation of the orders of the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court pertaining to illegal coal mining in the State to ensure that similar illegality is not perpetuated by illegally operating coke plants.
The court also asked Justice Katakey to monitor the coke plants which are operating in the State and their status, based on whether they have permission to operate and also the source of the coal being used.
“Any matter pertaining to illegally operating coke plants may be incorporated in the interim reports that are filed regularly by Justice Katakey in the suo motu proceedings,” the High Court said while stating that the next hearing on the matter will be held on May 9.
A similar order was also passed by the High Court today on a PIL filed by Monu Kumar regarding illegal coke plants in the State.
