By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 20: In compliance with directions of the Central Empowered Committee in connection with an appeal filed by Shubham Upadhyay in the Supreme Court, the State Government has constituted a high-level Field Verification Committee to conduct site inspections.
The inspection will cover several key aspects, including verification of forest status (including “deemed forests”), scrutiny of the validity of mining leases, examination of forest and environmental clearances, and compliance with conditions of approvals, if any.
It will also assess pollution control compliance, review wildlife conservation mandates, and examine the status of muck and waste disposal, as well as possible encroachments.
According to the notification, the inspection report must include detailed field findings, recommendations, and supporting documentary evidence such as lease copies, permissions, clearances, satellite imagery, forest cover maps, and any other relevant material deemed necessary by the Committee.