By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 5: The High Court of Meghalaya-appointed committee headed by Justice (retd) BP Katakey noticed coal dumps flanking the road in Assam’s Hahim during his field visits to Athiabari village in the interstate border area of West Khasi Hills district.
According to the residents, coal brought from Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills is dumped on the Assam side.
The committee also noticed the absence of any check-gate to detect transportation of illegally mined coal in the Athiabari village area, although the Athiabari Police Outpost was set up.
The panel also visited the integrated smart check gate at Dainadubi in the North Garo Hills district.
Officials of the Mining and Geology Department, managing the check-gate, complained about erratic internet connectivity in the area.
The committee noticed a check-gate manned by the Transport Department within less than 100 meters from the integrated smart check-gate in Dainadubi.
The panel also observed the absence of any Meghalaya Police picket in the area to ensure the movement of all goods-carrying vehicles through the integrated smart check-gate and to detect the transportation of illegally mined coal.
“At the present situation, the goods carrying vehicles may not even pass through the integrated smart check-gate, due to the absence of any police picket in that locality, and for that purpose,” the Katakey panel said in its 37th interim report submitted to the high court last week.
During its visit to Mendipathar Railway Station, the Station Superintendent informed the committee about the loading of 6 rakes of coal, each containing 2,600 MT, from January 2025 till the date of the visit (according to the Station Superintendent, there was no movement of coal from Mendipathar Railway Station for the last two months).
The committee also observed a temporary DMR check-gate, which is operated only when the Directorate of Mineral Resources receives information relating to the transportation of coal under Mineral Transport Challans issued.
The committee, accompanied by Nababrata Bhattacharjee, the Chairman of the Independent Committee for Caution of Coal in Meghalaya, constituted by the Meghalaya government, had a meeting with the Deputy Commissioners and the Superintendents of Police of North Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, and South Garo Hills districts, the DMR and other officials of the department, in Resubelpara.
The focus of this meeting was on setting up a smart check-gate conveniently near Mendipathar Railway Station to detect the transportation of illegally mined coal, if any, and another check-gate between Rongjeng and Dainadubi, preferably near Gabil Rongmil.
The necessity for the preparation of an action plan, identifying the vulnerable areas of illegal coal mining, the route of transportation of illegally mined coal, detailing the responsible officers for specific areas and making them personally liable in case of the occurrence of any illegal coal mining activities in their respective areas, etc., was also discussed.
The action plan was in the line of the one prepared for the East Jaintia Hills district (which, however, requires further modification by making the concerned officers personally liable in case of occurrence of any illegal coal mining activities in their respective areas), as recommended by the committee in its 34th Interim Report, and in the line of the January 7 communication from the Mining and Geology Department to the East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner.
The committee requested Deputy Commissioners and the Superintendents of Police of the said districts to prepare a common action plan for their respective districts and send it to the Mining and Geology Department, with a copy to the committee, within 10 days.
