Shillong, May 3: Two cement companies in Meghalaya have been accused of violating prescribed norms in the transport of over 2.93 lakh metric tonnes of coal, a high court-appointed committee said in its latest report.
The single-member panel of retired judge B P Katakey pointed out that the two companies transported the dry fuel from outside the state between February 2025 and February this year “without obtaining mandatory approvals under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), 2024”.
Justice (Retd) B P Katakey heads the committee, appointed by the high court to oversee compliance with its directions on curbing illegal coal mining and transportation.
In its report submitted to the court on Friday, the panel noted that although the companies had applied on April 8 last year, seeking permission to transport coal for the period from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, no approval was granted by the competent authority.
The committee found that the transport of over 2.93 lakh metric tonnes of coal violated several provisions of the SOP, including the failure to obtain prior approval and non-filing of mandatory weekly returns.
The single-member panel also flagged the absence of crucial documents, such as mineral transport challans, tax invoices, e-way bills, certificates of origin and weighment details, indicating serious procedural lapses in the movement of the consignments.
Referring to an accident on March 4 this year in East Jaintia Hills district, the panel said the coal was also being transported without approval.
The report highlighted gaps in enforcement, noting that investigating agencies had failed to probe the role of landowners in areas where illegal mining activities were detected.
The committee recommended strict enforcement of SOP provisions, verification of documents related to coal transported by the companies, and a detailed investigation into violations.
It also called for the introduction of GPS tracking of vehicles, colour-coded identification systems, designated transport routes and smart integrated check-points to prevent illegal movement of coal.
The committee recommended expansion of the enforcement strategies adopted in East Jaintia Hills district to other coal-bearing regions of the state to curb the menace of illegal mining and transportation. (PTI)
