Submit action-taken report by May 17 on open cast & illegal coal mining: Gauhati High Court

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has asked the State Government to submit the report of action taken against the alleged open-cast mining and illegal coal mining in Dihing Patkai National Park and Saleki Reserve Forest. The State Government was to take action based on the recommendations of the Justice (retd) BP Katakey Commission.

The bench of Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Soumitra Saikia of the High Court said that the court had earlier asked the government to submit the action taken report (ATR) by March 9, 2022. The State Government sought time to submit ATR by April 18, 2022. However, the Government failed to submit the ATR on April 18. That necessitated the court to have asked the State Government to submit the ATR by May 17, 2022.

The Government of India, which is also a respondent, submitted yesterday the steps it would take to preserve the biodiversity of Dihing Patkai National Park and Saleki Reserve Forest.

Of course, the State Government informed the High Court that it had permitted coal mining in the Saleki Reserve Forest.

The petitioners insisted on the ATR submission by the State Government before doing anything for mining.

The Gauhati High Court had taken a suo moto PIL on the alleged open cast mining and destruction of the greenery in the Tinsukia district. Four other parties also filed PILs on the same issue later. Clubbing all the PILs, the High Court asked the government to set up a judicial inquiry commission to inquire into the allegations. The State Government followed the instruction from the High Court and formed Justice (retd) BP Katakey Commission.

The inquiry commission suggested the State Government investigate the allegations of illegal coal mining and illegal coal trade with an independent agency like the CBI. The inquiry commission also told the State Government to recover Rs 4,915 crore from North Eastern Coalfield (NEC) of CIL (Coal India Ltd) as the value of coal mined illegally and the penalty thereof for the past 17 years. The commission also suggested measures for restoration and preservation of the biodiversity in Dihing Patkai National Park and Saleki Reserved Forest.

Justice (retd) Kakatey submitted his report to the Government in October 2021. And the State Government laid the report in the State Assembly in December 2021 and informed the High Court of it.

The High Court then asked the State Government to submit the action taken report by March 9, 2022, as recommended by the inquiry commission.

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