NEW DELHI: The hearing on the ban on coal mining in Meghalaya by the NGT resumed on Monday. The same will continue on Tuesday, official sources said today. During the hearing on Monday, the Secretary Mining and Geology, Meghalaya Government was present. He was directed by the NGT to hold a meeting with the Secretary or Special Secretary Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Home and Ministry of Environment and Forest forthwith and discuss all the issues particularly in relation to the defence put forward by the State for its inability to execute the orders of the NGT in its entirety. During the hearing of the Principal Bench of the NGT on March 16, the court had directed top civil and police officials and Sarkia Pawa and Prakash Pawa – owners of the mines from where “illegal “mining had been carried out – to be present for the next hearing on March 20. The hearing was postponed for Monday after the Additional DGP YC Modi fainted inside the NGT room. In a terse action, the Tribunal in its March 16 order had warned attachment of properties and bank accounts of the state officials, even as it wanted to know why they should not be detained in prison for intentional default in complying with the directions and orders of the NGT. The summons to officers was after the NGT examined the report filed by three local commissioners appointed by the Tribunal to physically inspect violations of the directions of the NGT.
