In a sharp rebuke to the Meghalaya government, the High Court has demanded accountability after nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of illegally mined coal mysteriously disappeared from two coal depots in the state, despite being officially surveyed and inventoried earlier.
A bench led by Justice H.S. Thangkhiew issued the directions on Thursday while hearing submissions related to the 31st interim report filed by the Justice B.P. Katakey Committee, which is monitoring coal mining and transportation activities across the state.
According to the committee’s report, a ground verification revealed that only 2.5 MT of coal was found at Diengngan, against 1,839.03 MT recorded earlier, while just 8 MT remained at Rajaju, compared to a previously recorded 2,121.62 MT. The court observed that these stocks had been identified as illegal coal long ago, and the disappearance indicates serious lapses in enforcement.
The court directed the state government to trace those responsible and take strict action against the officials under whose watch the lapse occurred.
Multiple Irregularities and Delays in Coal Auction
The report further pointed out delays and unresolved issues in the auction of inventoried coal stored at Coal India Limited (CIL) depots. In response, CIL has submitted four proposals to streamline the process, three of which are already included in the Revised Comprehensive Plan (2022).
To enhance accountability, the committee has recommended new clauses mandating:
- Full payment within 120 days, and
- Coal lifting within 120 days of payment,
failing which the bid would be cancelled, the Earnest Money Deposit forfeited, and re-auction initiated.
The state government has accepted a suggestion from CIL to temporarily pause fresh auctions until all related issues are resolved.
Disputed Claims and FIRs
The committee also examined 21 applications from individuals claiming their coal stocks were missing from the UAV survey by M/s Garuda UAV and MBDA. Only one claim was found to be genuine. Others were rejected due to lack of evidence or mismatch with survey coordinates.
The High Court has asked the state to clarify whether FIRs under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 were filed regarding these claims. A status report confirmed FIRs had been lodged in Rajaju, Diengngan, and South Garo Hills, but lacked investigation updates.
Deputy commissioners have now been directed to cross-verify physical stocks with UAV survey data and file FIRs wherever major discrepancies are found.
Transport Fraud, Miner Death, and Industrial Oversight
The report addressed concerns over mismatch of truck numbers and challans, attributing the issue to mechanical failures and not to document tampering. Meanwhile, the reported death of a coal miner in Musiang was found to be unsubstantiated after a police inquiry.
Progress was also noted in the audit of coal-based industries, particularly coke oven plants, with findings expected in the next hearing. The integration of Smart Check Gates with customs infrastructure is also under evaluation to curb illegal coal movement.
Additionally, ₹13.49 lakh in demurrage charges has been recovered so far, with ₹5.01 lakh still pending. The state has issued notices for the pending dues.
Next Hearing on August 25
Highlighting multiple unresolved issues—ranging from coal theft, illegal mining, mine closures, to procedural delays in auctions—the court scheduled the matter for further hearing on August 25 and ordered that copies of the committee’s report be circulated to all stakeholders for compliance and follow-up action.
