SHILLONG, March 9: Taking a strong objection to the unabated rise in illegal mining and transportation of minerals, nay “sorry state of affairs”, the High Court of Meghalaya has observed that the government has been complicit in the wanton plundering of state’s assets.
The High Court remarked this while hearing a PIL on the menace of overloading of goods vehicles.
“This matter has dragged on for more than a year with very little effort or intent on the part of the State government to check the menace of overloading of goods vehicles that the petitioner perceives to be rampant across the State,” the HC said.
According to the court, several reports and affidavits had been filed on behalf of the State where the latter informed that the number of check-points would be increased to 23 by March-end.
These are the check-points which have or which will have weighbridges to immediately check the weight of the perceived overloaded goods vehicles.
The court also observed that in order to pull the plug on the practice of illegal mining, immediate endeavours must be made to arrest the illegal transportation activities across the state.
“Across the State, illegal coal mining continues unabated despite the State’s assurance to adhere to subsisting court and tribunal orders and representations to the contrary. Orders of the Court disbelieving the State on the basis of material available have cut no ice with the State. Even Page 2 of 3 previous orders indicating that the State appears to be complicit in the illegal mining industries have been quietly digested. Indeed, even if local inhabitants are driven to illegal mining, for want of any other source of livelihood, if the illegal transportation thereof across the State were to be arrested, there would be no demand and, consequently, the illegal mining would come down or stop altogether,” the HC said.
Referring to limestone quarrying, the court said that the state has been looking the other way. “Recent orders of this Court have referred to a mischievous tweak in the rules that allowed incidental mining to be carried out; and, in the name of “incidental” mining, thousands of tonnes of mineral have been disposed of without any licence being obtained or any norms being adhered to,” the court said.
The HC also noted that there are boulders which are transported out of Meghalaya as well as riverbed mining for sand.
“No doubt, locals satrap with political connections control such businesses and it suits the State government to not take any measures in such regard. It is a sorry state of affairs that the executive which is tasked with the duty of protecting and preserving the assets of the State is complicit in the wanton plundering thereof. It will not do to merely have 23 weighbridges across the State, particularly since the State is used as a thoroughfare to reach several other States like Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur and even to the Barak Valley in Assam,” the HC said.
The court also attributed the damage on the crucial roads and bypasses in the state to the plying of overladen vehicles.
“Several of these roads, including some of the key roads or bypasses that lead to the southern North-East States, are in a pitiable state. Orders have been passed last week pertaining to the Jowai bypass on the highway that passes through the State through Khliehriat towards Silchar. The extent of the damage is primarily due to overloading of vehicles that the State seems to do little about,” the HC said.
Meanwhile, the state government has been directed to prepare a stricter set of norms to check the attempts to plunder the state’s natural resources as well as maintain the integrity of the roads.
“The State Transport Secretary will personally look into the matter and devise a scheme to deal with the menace. The Transport Secretary may seek assistance of the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong, to prepare a blueprint in such regard. However, the leave to seek external assistance should not be used as an excuse to indefinitely delay the matter. The Transport Secretary will report on the steps taken when the matter appears next three weeks hence,” the HC said.