Coal ban case
SHILONG: The Supreme Court will take a call on the plea of Hima Nongstoin Land Owners’ Association related to the extension of time for payment of royalty and transportation of extracted coal on July 18.
The Supreme Court lawyer and counsel for the state government Ranjan Mukherjee said that the matter was taken up for hearing on Wednesday and the counsel for the original petitioner Dimasa Students’ Union was present in the court.
However, the court wanted to know the exact quantity of extracted coal which, however, can be presented only by the state government in the next hearing.
Mukherjee said that at least 30 lakh metric tonnes of extracted coal worth Rs 1455 crore is yet to be transported.
He said that soon after the interim ban on coal mining on April 17, 2014, the quantity of extracted coal which was yet to be transported was 1. 23 lakh metric tonnes.
Later, after NGT allowed transportation of extracted coal, 87 lakh metric tonnes of coal were transported leaving over 30 lakh metric tonnes of extracted coal.
According to Mukherjee, if the Supreme Court allows the transportation of already extracted coal, this will benefit both the state government and the miners.
Mukherjee preferred extension of payment of royalty from October 1 to December 31 for the transportation coal.
He also wanted the transportation of coal to continue till February 28 next year.
