The Meghalaya High Court today said that neither the administration nor the police have made any endeavour to stop illegal mining and transportation of coal in the State.
The court also said that “the stable doors have been left wide open with both the administration and the police looking the other way”.
Taking up a suo motu PIL on the illegal mining and transportation of coal, the full bench of the High Court also perused the affidavits filed by the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police as per the court’s order passed on May 15.
However, the High Court said that neither the Chief Secretary nor the Director-General of Police has dealt with the aspect of the matter as mentioned in the 13th interim report filed by Justice B P Katakey (retired) and the innumerable instances of flagrant breach of subsisting orders indicated in the report.
“Neither the Chief Secretary nor the Director-General of Police has dealt with such an aspect of the matter. Indeed, the affidavit filed by the DGP is more of what has been done after the horse has bolted. What the court required was for the horse to be kept safe and to close the stable door. It does not appear that either the administration or the police has made any endeavour in such regard as the stable doors have been left wide open with both the administration and the police looking the other way,” the High Court said.
“The instances referred to in Justice Katakey’s 13th interim report must be individually dealt with,” the court said while ordering both the Chief Secretary and the DGP to file further affidavits indicating the measures taken to ensure that there is no breach of the subsisting orders in future.
“Such further affidavits should be filed within four weeks. The matter will appear five weeks hence. In the meantime, the State should also ensure that the previous coal is disposed of as per the original schedule as set by Justice Katakey. Justice Katakey will keep on monitoring the situation and keep up the good work,” the court said while listing the matter for hearing on July 3.
The court also directed that another ad hoc remuneration of Rs 5 lakh should be immediately released to Justice Katakey.
