Deploy 10 companies of CAPFs to check illegal coal transportation in Meghalaya: HC to MHA

The Bench said, “Rampant illegal mining of coal has continued in the State and such illegally mined coal has been allowed to be freely transported, even to the extent of being regularly exported to Bangladesh by possible false declarations that the coal originated elsewhere.”

The Meghalaya High Court has directed the Union Home Ministry to deploy 10 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to check the transportation of illegally mined coal in the northeastern State.

A Bench of the high court headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said this while hearing a PIL on the matter on April 13.

"The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Home Secretary, is directed to ensure the deployment of 10 companies of appropriate Central Armed Police Force to be commanded independently or jointly by officers from the local police that may be selected by the Court, strictly for the purpose of keeping a vigil on the roads and arresting the illegal transportation of illegally mined coal in the State," the court said.

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It also directed for Union Home ministry's response through the secretary should be available when the matter appears next.

This was after the Deputy Solicitor General of India Dr. Mozika informed that the Central Industrial Security Force is unwilling to take up the assignment of deploying 10 companies for the purpose of checking illegal transportation of coal in the State, primarily, because the nature of the work does not fall within the usual activities undertaken by CISF.

The court said it did not seek the deployment of CISF in particular, but in view of the fact that it wanted a more independent force to check the illegality since the Central Reserve Police Force are under the direct control of the State police.