1. Meghalaya HC’s Single Member Committee, led by Retired Justice BP Katakey, urges the auction of reassessed coal by March 31.
2. The committee emphasizes that all reassessed or re-verified inventoried coal should be auctioned by CIL by the specified deadline.
3. This recommendation aims to address delays in the transportation of coal and ensure compliance with court directives.
Shillong, Feb 11: The Single Member Committee, appointed by the Meghalaya High Court, has recommended that the auction of reassessed coal should be completed by March 31, according to its twentieth interim report.
Retired Justice BP Katakey, in the report, emphasized that all reassessed or re-verified inventoried coal should be auctioned by Coal India Limited (CIL) by March 31, 2024. This timeline was proposed after the previous deadline was missed due to the incomplete transportation of coal from the pithead to designated depots.
The committee further advised filing necessary applications before the appropriate court for auctioning seized coal and set a final deadline of February 29, 2024, for transporting the remaining coal to designated depots.
In case any reassessed coal remains untransported by the deadline and has not been illegally sold or transported, the committee recommended seizing it and transporting it to designated depots within a month for auction by CIL.
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This suggestion was made as coal owners showed no interest in transporting the remaining coal despite multiple public notices setting deadlines for transportation.
To ensure transparency, the committee proposed that the revenue from confiscated coal sales be deposited into the government fund after paying CIL for auction and the Mine Environment and Production Restoration Fund (MEPRF).
Additionally, it suggested issuing public notifications in local languages to inform all relevant parties.
If transportation of remaining reassessed coal is not completed by February 29, 2024, the committee recommended similar actions in other districts.
Furthermore, it advised conducting drone surveys and videography in all districts after transporting reassessed coal to designated depots to ascertain the availability of coal.
Any coal found could be confiscated under the MMDR Act 1957 and sold, with proceeds deposited into the State fund after paying the MEPRF.
