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Meghalaya asked to allow coal transportation

By Correspondent

TURA, April 13 � In a relief to the coal miners of Meghalaya, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Meghalaya Government to immediately allow for the transportation of coal on payment of royalty after a contempt of court case was filed on behalf of the coal miners of South Garo Hills (SGH).

The NGT, while hearing the case on a petition filed on behalf of the SGH coal miners who had paid the royalty on coal quite some time ago on assurance of transportation being allowed, directed the State Government to immediately allow for the transportation of coal. The NGT had ruled earlier for transportation to be allowed for a period of seven weeks or until May 31, whichever came earlier.

The State Government, however, differed and asked for all royalty payments to be made along with the Rs 485 environmental fund by April 18 before transportation is allowed from April 19, providing only six weeks. Quashing the order of the State Government, the Tribunal asked for transportation to be allowed immediately.

�We had filed the contempt case which was later turned into a directive to the State Government, asking them to allow for immediate transportation of coal. The direction of the NGT is now set to benefit the whole State�, said Advocate Saurabh Sharma from Delhi. The contempt petition was filed yesterday and hearing completed today and the order is expected to go online today or early tomorrow.

Explaining the Rs 485 charge for the environment fund, Sharma said, �The NGT has been empowered with levying a 10 per cent charge on environmental degradation cases. This was done and the NGT thereby asked for the miners to pay Rs 200 per tonne on an assessment of Rs 2,000. However, the State Government came up with its own assessment and pegged it at 10 per cent on Rs 4850 or Rs 485 per tonne�.

�The NGT ordered for the immediate transportation to start as royalty has already been paid. The State Government cannot wait until April 19 to restart transportation according to the new directions provided�, added Sharma.

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