Rtd Judge decides to quit as chairman of NGT panel

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 2, 2019

SHILLONG: Retired Judge BP Katakey has decided to quit as Chairman of the Committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to look into the issues related to mining and transportation of coal in the state. 

After chairing a meeting held here on Monday, Katakey informed that he has decided to disassociate himself from the NGT panel citing that it was due to personal reasons and inconveniences. 

“I will write to the Supreme Court tomorrow requesting to relieve me as chairman of the committee,” he told reporters. 

Sources however informed that the chairman was not happy with the attitude of the state government towards the committee. 

Earlier, the state government has outrightly rejected the directions of the committee to provide details on the 32 lakh metric tons of and to conduct an inquiry into the illegal exporting of coal to Bangladesh. 

The committee has been asked to formulate a mechanism for transport and weighment of all assessed coal as per judgment passed by the Supreme Court, which lift the ban on coal mining in the state on July 3, this year. 

“The Katakey Committee after discussion with Coal India Ltd and State of Meghalaya shall formulate a mechanism for transport, weighment of all assessed coal. The Coal India Ltd shall auction the coal so received by it as per its best judgment and remit the proceed to State to the extent as directed above. All coal seized by the State for which cases have already been registered shall be dealt by the State in accordance with Section 21 of 1957 Act,” the apex court had stated in its ruling. 

When asked, the chairman has categorically denied this by saying “I have no grievance against anyone…it is purely due to personal reasons.” 

Stating that largely he was satisfied with the whole proceedings, Katakey however said but in the last few meetings, he has noticed that the state government was reluctant to share certain information with the committee. 

“They (govt) have given us in writing also that the committee has no jurisdiction to ask for those information and that we have recorded in our proceedings. Therefore, those information have not been provided…(with regards) to the 32 lakh metric tons of coal. That is the consistent stand of the government that we have no jurisdiction to look into it since Supreme Court has already dealt with it,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the chairman informed that he is going to submit the 5th and 6th reports to the NGT tomorrow. According to him, the 5th report is related to the coal audit in respect to power plants and cement plants while the 6th report will be a general one.