Meghalaya: SC formed panel seeks details on missing 4,000 MT coal, sets Sept deadline

On July 25, the Meghalaya High Court sought accountability from the state government and its agencies to identify the individuals or officials responsible for the missing coal

District authorities in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi and West Khasi Hills have assured the Supreme Court-appointed Justice (retired) B.P. Katakey committee that their inquiry reports on the mysterious disappearance of nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of illegal coal from these two depots will be ready within a month.

On July 25, the Meghalaya High Court sought accountability from the state government and its agencies. (Bloomberg file photo)

“I have asked them to conduct an inquiry, and it has been assured that a report would be submitted within a month from now,” Justice (retired) BP Katakey told media persons on Monday evening after chairing a review meeting.

On July 25, the Meghalaya High Court sought accountability from the state government and its agencies to identify the individuals or officials responsible for the missing coal, terming it a serious breach.

Figures from the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) revealed that 1,839.03 MT of coal was recorded at a depot in Diengngan village, Ri-Bhoi. However, a recent inspection found just 2.5 MT, along with residue and traces of coal. In Rajaju village, West Khasi Hills, the situation was no better — only around 8 MT of coal remained against the 2,121.62 MT officially logged earlier.

The committee meeting also reviewed applications from coal traders who claim their stock was not reflected in the report prepared by M/S Garuda, despite their inclusion in an affidavit filed by the state government before the Supreme Court.

Justice Katakey’s panel further examined the discovery of 1.92 lakh MT of illegally mined coal traced jointly by M/S Garuda and MBDA, and assessed what action had been taken.

The former judge, however, was displeased with the pace of verification in East Jaiñtia Hills, the epicentre of Meghalaya’s coal controversies for over a decade.

“I find the progress in East Jaiñtia Hills very slow and unsatisfying, while the quantity in other districts is very small,” he remarked, noting that while site visits had been made, the exact quantities of coal were yet to be determined.

The development comes close on the heels of Leader of Opposition Dr. Mukul Sangma accusing the state machinery of following a “well-scripted modus operandi” to cover up coal-related corruption.

The committee will soon file its recommendations before the high court.

Meghalaya’s coal industry has been under a ban on unscientific and hazardous mining since 2014 following a National Green Tribunal order.

Despite this, illegal extraction and transport have persisted, with the high court and the Justice Katakey committee frequently flagging discrepancies in official coal inventories.

The latest “vanishing coal” episode comes just months after Meghalaya recorded the highest rainfall deficit in India at 56% — a statistic controversially floated by an excise minister as a possible reason for the missing stock.