Constitute Probe Panel: Gauhati High Court to Forest department

UNAUTHORIZED COAL MINING & SMUGGLING

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: A bench of the Gauhati High Court comprising Chief Justice Ajai Lamba and Justice Achintya Malla Bujor Baruah has directed the Commissioner and Secretary to the Environment and Forest Department, Assam to constitute a five-member committee to be headed by a senior forest officer to conduct an inquiry in the entire area of Tipam along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary in upper Assam to ascertain if illegal mining and smuggling of coal are taking place there. The committee to be formed has also been asked to file its report by January 31, 2020.

The development came close on the heels of the government admitting illegal movement of coal in the State, but denying the allegation of ‘coal syndicate’ being run in the State. Other members of the committee should be from the SDMs (sub-divisional magistrates) serving in the area and the DSPs (deputy superintendents of police) concerned.

The bench said that the PIL (suo moto) in this regard has been pending since May, 2018. It has also asked the committee to be formed for a physical verification of Tipam and to take inputs from various agencies, including officials working in the Forest department, Panchayat department, police agencies, functionaries of the deputy commissioners in the local areas and others.

The High Court has made it clear that the report has to be submitted by the inquiry committee on the basis of physical verification of the site.

The High Court also directed the authorities in the adjoining area of Arunachal Pradesh to cooperate with the inquiry committee while preparing and filing an effective report into the allegation of illegal mining and coal smuggling.

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