Meghalaya HC's single member committee recommends auction of reassessed coal by March 31

The Single Member Committee, formed by the Meghalaya High Court, has suggested that the auction of reassessed or re-verified inventoried coal should be completed by March 31.

In his twentieth interim report, retired Justice BP Katakey stated that the entire reassessed or re-verified inventoried coal should be auctioned by the CIL by March 31, 2024. The previous timeline could not be met due to the non-transportation of the entire coal from the pithead to the designated depots. 

He also recommended that immediate steps should be taken to file the appropriate applications before the appropriate court of law for the auction of the seized coal. The committee also suggested that the final timeline for the transportation of such coal to the designated depot should be set to February 29, 2024. 

Any leftover coal, if still available and not illegally sold and transported, should be seized by the authority and transported to the designated depot within a month for auction by the CIL. This recommendation comes after coal owners showed no interest in transporting the remaining reassessed or re-verified inventoried coal from the pithead to the designated depots in East Jaintia hills District, despite the issuance of three public notices setting the deadline for transportation.

The committee has proposed that the sales revenues from confiscated coal be fully deposited by owners into the government fund, following payment to the Coal India Limited (CIL) for the auction and the Mine Environment and Production Restoration Fund (MEPRF). A public notification in local languages should also be widely distributed to inform all relevant parties.

If the transportation of the remaining re-assessed/reverified inventoried coal is not completed by 29/02/2024, the committee suggests taking similar steps in the other three districts. The committee also advised conducting a drone survey and videography of the four districts after the transportation of re-assessed/re-verified inventoried coal to the designated depots. This would help determine the availability of coal in these districts. Any coal found could be immediately confiscated under the provisions of the MMDR Act 1957 and sold. The sales proceeds would then be deposited into the State fund after payment to the MEPRF.

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