GUWAHATI: Assam government has in an affidavit filed recently before the Gauhati High Court, accepted Justice (Retired) BP Katakey Commission’s report revealing extensive illegal coal mining in the Saleki proposed reserve forest and Tekok open cast during the period 2003-2019 by violating the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Additional chief secretary to the government of Assam, environment and forest department, Ravi Shankar Prasad held a meeting with officials of the forest department, Assam state biodiversity board, state pollution control board and the geology and mining department regarding the report of the commission alleging illegal coal mining.
The meeting unanimously decided to accept the recommendations of the panel. However, it decided that the highest authority of the state government will take a decision on the recommendation to investigate the matter by an independent agency like the CBI to identify and punish the persons indulging in illegal coal mining in the said region. The site was given to Coal India on lease for 30 years from 1973 to 2003. However, coal mining was carried out in the region from 2003 to 2019 illegally by violating various acts, including the Biological Diversity Act. In March last year, the environment ministry, while replying to an RTI, admitted that large-scale illegal coal mining by Coal India Limited had taken place in the said region since 2003.
