Katakey informs SC, NGT on decision to quit

SHILLONG: The chairman of the NGT panel, justice (retd) BP Katakey has apprised the Supreme Court and NGT regarding his decision to quit the committee dealing with coal issue in Meghalaya.
In separate letters written to both the apex court and the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday, Katakey cited personal reasons for his decision not to be part of the committee.
However, sources said the actual reason was that the government refused to divulge details of the already extracted coal.
The committee was appointed by the order of the NGT on August 31, 2018 and later the Supreme Court endorsed the same though the order was challenged by the state government.
Besides the chairman, the committee consists of a representative of Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, and representative of the Central Pollution Control Board.
Katakey apprised the chairperson of NGT that till December 2 this year, he held 20 sittings for implementation of various orders passed from time to time and four special sittings regarding formulation of plan for handing over of identified coal to Coal India Limited and its auction, including transportation, in compliance of the order of the Supreme Court on July 3 this year. The committee had submitted six reports to the NGT.
He urged the NGT to relieve of his responsibility.
In the letter addressed to the Registrar General, Supreme Court, Katakey said he was made chairman to finalise the mode and manner of auction of 32,56,715 metric tonnes of coal lying in various places to be conducted by Coal India Limited.