Shillong, March 2: The Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday observed though the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the state government to implement several recommendations, “but it does not appear that any action has been taken in such regard,” the court said.
Hearing the case on the illegal mining of coal in Meghalaya on Wednesday, a bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said the matter was of importance and great seriousness since orders of the NGT as approved by the Supreme Court appeared not to have been carried out.
It further stated that certain time-bound recommendations were made by a committee constituted by the NGT and there was a copious reference to such recommendations in the Supreme Court order of July 3, 2019.
“The aspect that engages the attention of this Court is the illegal mining that appears to have resurfaced and is rampant in large areas of the State, without any permission or license or sanction being obtained therefore notwithstanding the law as declared in the Supreme Court judgment of July 3, 2019,” the order read.
The next hearing of the case will be on March 7.
The Meghalaya high court had on February 28 decided to give Meghalaya chief secretary “last chance” to file an affidavit with regards to the alleged illegal mining and transportation of coal in the state within this week.