State may appeal against NGT penalty order

SHILLONG: The state government is planning to appeal in the Supreme Court against the order of the National Green Tribunal to cough up Rs 100 crore as compensation for damages to the environment caused by coal mining.
Talking to reporters here on Monday, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said the Legal Department “is examining the recent order of the NGT”.
The order says the amount needs to be collected from actual violators, including miners and errant officials who have failed to check illegal mining.
Also, in case a transporter is caught, he has to
lay half the actual showroom price of his truck.
“The government is exploring the options available before it and it will also try to appeal before the Supreme Court and the NGT to reconsider the order,” he added.
Stating that the state government is working aggressively to legalise the coal mining in the state, Sangma reiterated that the government would not allow illegal mining and close to over 1,000 cases have been registered by the state government against individuals and groups who were indulging in such activities.
The government has also asked the administration in different districts to take stern action against illegal coal mining.
When asked about the rampant illegal coal mining going on in the state, the Chief Minister said the government “never allows illegal mining and whenever it receives information, it immediately acts against such illegal activities”.
Responding to a query about the recovery of two bodies from a coal quarry, the chief minister said it is not right to connect their deaths to coal mining since investigation is still on into the matter.
On the ineffectiveness of the East Jaintia Hills administration to curb large scale illegal mining, Sangma defended the DC and the SP saying the administration is working under a tough situation and “it is not an easy task to detect illegal coal mining in far flung and distant areas”.