Apex Court to hear coal mining case today

SHILLONG: The Supreme Court will hear the coal mining case on Monday while the RTI activist Agnes Kharshiing is battling for life in Shillong for resisting illegal coal mining.
Supreme Court lawyer and counsel for the state government, Ranjan Mukherjee, said on Sunday that the pending matter will be heard on Monday by the court.
When asked, Mukherjee said he cannot comment whether the issue of assault of CSWO president and her associate Amita Sangma will be made known to the court.
Sources said that Justice B.P Katoki, former judge of Gauhati High Court, who was entrusted by NGT to decide on matters related to restoration of environment and rehabilitation, will visit coal mining areas of East Jaintia Hills on Monday.
Earlier, the NGT in its order on August 31, while disposing of the coal mining case, had appointed the retired judge to head the committee to assess the ground reality regarding restoration of environment.
However, sources said that after the mob attacked Agnes and Amita on Thursday, the local coal miners in East Jaintia Hills are cautious and the judicial committee is unlikely to come across any illegal mining or transportation in the district for some days.
The Supreme Court on Monday will take up several petitions to resume coal mining and transportation of extracted coal.
According to the assessment made on March 20 this year, 5 lakh metric tonne of coal are yet to be transported.
While the State Coordination Committee of Coal Owners and Mine Dealers Forum had petitioned the court for transportation of the already extracted coal, another pending petition of Lber Laloo, had sought resumption of coal mining in the state.
The state government had also brought another petition regarding the matter.
Earlier, the NGT while disposing of all pending matters related to the case filed before the Tribunal in 2012 and 2014, had maintained that the ban on coal mining and transportation of the already mined mineral will continue.
The NGT order also said that the Meghalaya government will be the receiver/custodian of the available extracted coal, subject to further orders of the Supreme Court.