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Shillong Feb 23: The Meghalaya State Co-ordination Committee of Coal Owners, Miners, Exporters, Transporters & Dealers Forum (MSCCCOMETDF) has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) recently in Supreme Court urging the Court to intervene and pass necessary direction to the State of Meghalaya to allow coal loaded trucks stranded in Garo Hills to pass through check gates and weighbridges and to proceed to their destination.
The SLP was filed behalf of the Joint Action Committee of Nongalbibra, South Garo Hills.
Chairman of the Forum, Sonny L. Khyriem in a statement on Saturday said that coal loaded trucks that stranded in Garo Hills particularly in South and North Garo Hills Districts were in transit prior to the Supreme Court order to stop the transportation of the extracted coal on the January 15.
Khyriem said that the prayer was made to permit those trucks stuck on roadsides, export routes and highways to pass through the check gates and weighbridges and to proceed to their destination.
“Date of hearing on this matter is awaited but an appeal mentioning the urgency of the concerned subject was also prayed accordingly,†he said.
He informed that the Forum which had been spearheading the issue of re-opening coal mining in the State since 2014, has through the Senior Supreme Court Advocate, Rajiv Dutta and his team of counsels reiterated the appeal on February 19 at the Supreme Court of reviving the coal mining in the State of Meghalaya based on the proposed mining plans as submitted by the past and the present State Governments to the Central Government.
“In this regard, the Supreme Court has on February 19 directed the Government of India to take a final decision within one month and the matter in this light will be heard on March 26,†Khyriem said.
