Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: A judicial committee wants answers. Justice (retd) B P Katakey is leading the charge after 13.02 lakh tonnes of coal went missing. That stockpile is gone. This amount equals roughly 52,000 truckloads of coal. Moving that volume at a rate of 100 trucks daily would take 520 days. The committee confirmed the shortage in its 41st interim report submitted to the Meghalaya High Court.
"There is no dispute relating to the shortage of 13,02,456.184 MT coal (32,56,715 MT minus 19,54,258.816 MT), even if the actual physical verification conducted by the Deputy Commissioners [is] accepted," the committee stated. They now demand a probe to hold the right people accountable. The Supreme Court previously named the state government as the custodian of this coal.
Legal gaps persist regarding illegal mining. Authorities identified 37,449.53 tonnes of coal missing outside Coal India Limited depots. While the state claimed on September 17 that FIRs covered the total amount, they failed to provide police case numbers or investigation updates. Officials must still pursue legal action for 33,307.7 tonnes of this material.
Safety remains a mess. Not one rat-hole mine has been closed or fenced off. The state’s closure plan sits in limbo. Meanwhile, new illegal digging surfaced at Sakhain village in the East Jaintia Hills district. Police filed an FIR at Khliehriat station on September 3, yet they failed to seize mining equipment clearly visible in site photos.
The Mining and Geology Department has a draft plan to stop illegal transport, but it lacks final approval. The state also issued new rules on September 14 to govern coal transit. Officials have not paid compensation to the family of Durba Rai. She died in an unprotected illegal pit earlier this year. The committee continues to monitor state compliance with orders from the High Court, the Supreme Court, and the National Green Tribunal.
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