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Judgment
This original application is registered suo motu on the basis of the news item titled "Illegal mining activities claim 30 lives in 5 years" appearing in ‘The Shillong Times’ dated 21.02.2024.
The news item relates to the several deaths caused in coal mines of Meghalaya over last five years due to the illegal mining in the area. As per the RTI reply provided by the Directorate of Mineral Resources, 30 deaths have been reported in coal mining related incidents in the State in last five years. The news item also mentions the mining tragedies which occurred in Ksan mine incident in East Jaintia Hills at Rymbai at Umpleng in Nengchigen in West Khasi Hills and in Urak in Meghalaya.
On advance notice, learned Counsel for State of Meghalaya has informed that on the same issue, PIL No. 2/2022, In Re: Suo Motu Illegal Mining of Coal in State of Meghalaya vs. State of Meghalaya is pending before the Meghalaya High Court, wherein a Committee has been constituted headed by Shri Justice B.P. Katakey (retired) and there is a direction for surveillance of the entire area. He has produced a copy of the order dated 14.03.2024 in PIL No. 2/2022. He has also submitted that 70,000 Metric Tonne of coal which was earlier mined is waiting for transportation and that no further mining of coal is permitted in the State and the High Court is, therefore, monitoring it.
Since the High Court of Meghalaya is already considering the issue, therefore, in order to avoid parallel proceedings, we do not intend to take up the matter further.
The OA is accordingly disposed of.