Over coal carriage irregularities Katakey-committee raises concern

Guwahati: The one-man committee headed by retired Judge BP Katakey has raised concerns over the Meghalaya government’s handling of coal carriage.

In its 26th interim report, the committee questioned the government’s decision not to specify the quantity of coal allowed to be brought from outside the state, effectively giving transporters a free pass to ferry unlimited coal.

The committee has called for an administrative inquiry to determine the reason behind this omission and to take appropriate action.

It stated that strict compliance with the Meghalaya Mineral (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation, and Storage) Rules, 2022, and the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP), 2024 was needed.

The report further highlighted discrepancies in the November 19 DMR report and departmental files, revealing that the Mining and Geology Department had granted approval to export coal from outside Meghalaya to Bangladesh without specifying the quantity.

This move has been criticized for giving transporters an undue advantage.