SHILLONG:
Thirty applications for scientific mining are being processed in conjunction with the Ministry of Coal, the state government informed Meghalaya High Court during a hearing on the PIL on illegal coal mining on Tuesday.
The full bench of the court has directed that safety and environmental norms are met while conducting scientific mining in the state.
“On behalf of the State, it is submitted that some 30 applications have been received for scientific mining and the applications are being processed, in conjunction with the Ministry of Coal. It is hoped that all safety and environmental norms are met while conducting scientific mining,” said the order passed by the full bench.
The order said it was submitted by one of the other petitioners that despite a direction by this court on August 10, 2023 for the state to look into the other industries using the illegally-mined coal in their functioning, no report has been forthcoming.
The Advocate General submitted that even such an aspect of the matter is being monitored by Justice Katakey and certain anomalies have been noticed by the state in how the ferro alloy industry, the cement industry and the coke industry obtain their supplies of coal.
The bench has directed that a report in such regard should be filed by the state when the matter appears next week.
Meanwhile, a 17th interim report has been filed in the suo motu proceedings by Justice BP Katakey (retired) on September 22.
In addition, a status report was filed on Tuesday by Justice Katakey in pursuance of the previous order of August 29.
