460 coal-laden trucks allowed through Gasuapara LCS
SHILLONG: The NGT-appointed panel headed by BP Katakey wanted an agency not under superintendence and control of Meghalaya to enquire into the export of illegally mined coal to Bangladesh, in the guise of coal permitted to be transported by various orders passed by NGT and the Supreme Court from time to time.
The panel, in its recent report submitted to the NGT principal bench, said that the probe agency should identify the persons responsible for export of coal and file a complaint before the concerned competent courts of law under relevant provisions of the law against all those persons.
The state government has been asked to place before the Tribunal the periodical details with name and full address of the exporter for each consignment of coal originating from Meghalaya which was allowed by the Mining and Geology department for export to Bangladesh from each of the seven Land Customs Stations (LCSs) in Meghalaya since the ban on rat-hole coal mining was imposed since April, 2014.
The Committee noted vast discrepancy in the quantity of coal actually exported to Bangladesh from the Gasuapara Land Customs Station during May 2019 and the quantity of coal allowed by the Mining and Geology department for export to Bangladesh from the stock of assessed coal permitted to be transported by the Supreme Court.
The Committee pointed out that it is clear that during two days (May. 22 and 23, 2019) 460 trucks, each loaded with 9 tonnes of illegally mined coal, were allowed to be exported to Bangladesh through Gasuapara LCS.
As per the information available, total 34,33,073 metric tonnes of coal originated from Meghalaya in 3,87,134 truck loads, were exported to Bangladesh through seven LCSs after the ban on rat-hole coal mining.
Out of this, 4,167 metric tonnes of coal originated in Meghalaya exported to Bangladesh in 463 truckloads through Gasuapara LCS during May last year. Each of these 463 trucks carried exactly nine metric tonnes of coal.
The Commissioner and Secretary, Mining and Geology department had informed the Committee that as per the records of the Mining and Geology department, only 27 metric tonnes of coal in three truckloads, each carrying 9 metric tonnes of coal, was exported to Bangladesh through Gasuapara LCS by one exporter identified as DM Traders.
(Contd on P-10)
NGT panel for probe…
(Contd from P-1) However, information related to the coal consignments originating from Meghalaya, which were allowed by the Mining and Geology department for export to Bangladesh during the month of May, 2019 from other six LCSs, and those from all the seven LCSs during all other months since the ban on illegal rat-hole coal mining, was not provided to the Committee by the department.
The panel said the state government should initiate necessary actions in accordance with provisions of section 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 against the persons responsible for export of the illegally raised coal to Bangladesh from each of the seven LCSs in Meghalaya in the guise of the coal permitted to be transported.
“The actions to be initiated against such persons shall include actions under sub-section (5) of Section 21 of the Mines Act to recover price of such illegally raised coal along with rent, royalty or tax, as the case may be, payable to the government in respect of such coal”, the panel said.
The Committee said in case the coal reported to be available at several locations between the DMR check gate/weighbridge and the Customs exit point at Gasuapara and such other Customs exit points in Meghalaya is not a part of the 32,56,715 MT assessed coal to be handed over to the Coal India Limited for disposal through e-auction, the Mining and Geology department will initiate necessary actions in accordance with provisions of Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 against the persons responsible for raising and transportation of such coal and submit a report to the Tribunal. The actions should be under sub-section (5) of section 21 of the Act to recover all such illegally raised coal.
The Committee wanted the state government to establish integrated check posts and tamper-proof weigh-in-motion weighbridge at each of the seven LCSs.
“Each such integrated check-post and weigh-in-motion weighbridge shall jointly be manned by the representative, one each from the Mining and Geology department and the Forests & Environment department and the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Customs department. Each such integrated check-post and weigh-in-motion weighbridge shall be provided with an adequate number of CCTV cameras to ensure video recording of the registration numbers and the consignment loaded in each truck passing through such integrated check-post and the weighbridge. The network of CCTV cameras to be installed at the weighbridge shall also ensure video recording of the display panel indicating weight of each truck passing through such weighbridge. The footage of each CCTV camera installed at each integrated check-post and the weighbridge shall be retained for a minimum period of one year”
The panel also said that vigilance wing in the Customs and the BSF and the Home (Police) Department will undertake regular inspection of the integrated check-posts and weigh-in-motion weighbridges and submit a quarterly report on such inspections to the chief secretary and their respective departmental heads.