Illegal coal mining in Meghalaya: HC not satisfied with affidavits of chief secy, DGP

Guwahati: The Meghalaya high court has expressed dissatisfaction with the affidavits filed by the state’s chief secretary and DGP on measures taken to stop illegal mining and transportation of coal in the state.
Saying that affidavits filed by the DGP “is more of what has been done after the horse has bolted”, the Bench of chief justice Sanjib Banerjee and judges HS Thangkhiew and W Diengdoh, while hearing a suo moto PIL on illegal mining and transportation of coal in the state, in its order on Thursday asked both the top civil and police officials to file fresh affidavits within four weeks. The matter will be next heard on July 3.
The Bench said in its order, “Indeed, the affidavit filed by the DGP is more of what has been done after the horse has bolted. What the court required was for the horse to be kept safe and to close the stable door. It does not appear that either the administration or the police has made any endeavour in such regard as the stable doors have been left wide open with both the administration and the police looking the other way.”
The court stated in the order that on May 15, it had asked the chief secretary and the DGP to file affidavits in reference to the “13th interim report filed by Justice Katakey (retired) and the innumerable instances of flagrant breach of subsisting orders indicated in such report. Neither the chief secretary nor the DGP has dealt with such aspect of the matter.”
“The instances referred to in Justice Katakey’s 13th interim report must be individually dealt with and both the chief secretary and the DGP will file further affidavits indicating measures taken to ensure that there is no breach of the subsisting orders in future,” the court said.
“In the meantime, the state should also ensure that the previous coal is disposed of as per the original schedule as set by Justice Katakey. Justice Katakey will keep on monitoring the situation and keep up the good work,” the court stated.
The HC is monitoring the disposal of previously mined coal post 2014 NGT ban on rat-hole coal mining and transportation of coal. It had also sought deployment of 10 companies of CAPFs to check illegal mining.