From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), which gave a partial relief to the coal miners and workers on Tuesday by allowing limited transport of extracted coal from West Khasi Hills, will hear the plea on South Garo Hills on Friday.
The NGT took this decision while responding to a petition filed by the State Co-Ordination Committee of Coal Owners, Miners & Dealers Forum here on Wednesday.
In the petition, the forum urged the tribunal to allow transportation of coal from South Garo Hills.
The NGT directed the State Government to respond and file a reply within a day or two so that it can pass the necessary order.
Meanwhile, M. Kharkongor, Secretary of the forum in a statement also urged the NGT to consider their plea for deferred payment of royalty. “The Forum had filed an application on the issue for payment of royalty, where in the form urged the NGT to allow the coal miners to make the payment in respect of the assessed coal.
The forum, meanwhile, requested all the coal miners and dealers throughout the State not to pay such royalty or to transport their coal till further instruction as this pertinent issue affecting all of us, who are awaiting further order by the NGT Court.
The tribunal on Tuesday deferred its decision on mode of royalty to the next meeting to be held in Shillong on October 7.
On September 1, the tribunal had allowed the transportation of the extracted and assessed coal from six districts – East Jaintia Hills, West Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, East Garo Hills and West Garo Hills.
However, the tribunal made it clear that the extracted coal, which has not been measured yet, will not be permitted to be removed, in any manner whatsoever.
The committee on September 1 had issued several guidelines for the transportation of the extracted and assessed coal.
Although the monsoon had disrupted the assessment work in the South Garo Hills, the committee, until September 1, was able to assess 2,02,645 metric tonnes of extracted coal in the district.
According to the assessment carried out by the committee headed by additional chief secretary Kuljit Singh Kropha, the amount of extracted coal has been pegged at 65,81,147 metric tonnes.
The total quantity of coal was declared by mine owners initially and the fresh stock found/declared during inspection in the eight mining districts was 136,37,707 metric tonnes.