Shillong: The Justice (retd) B.P. Katakey Committee has urged the Meghalaya government to negotiate with landowners to secure land for integrated smart check gates, stating that these gates are crucial for effectively curbing illegal coal transportation.
The committee suggested convincing the land owners to part with their land on a monthly rental basis for establishing integrated smart check gates at Bagli, Borsora, and Cherragoan.
“Alternatively, the possibility of installation of such smart check-gates in the existing Custom Check Gates in Bagli, Borsora and Cherragaon maintained by the Custom Department of Govt. of India, may also be explored, in the event no other land is found for setting up of such smart check-gates,” the committee said in its 30th interim report submitted to the Meghalaya High Court for issuance of necessary direction.
The Secretary, Mining and Geology department has apprised the committee that the integrated smart check-gates in Bagli, Borsora and Cherragaon could not be setup till now due to reluctance of the land owners to part with their land.
The department also informed the committee that the alternative forest land identified for the check-gates was also deemed unsuitable for integrated smart check-gates because its existing area is too small.
The secretary of the department stated that all efforts would be made by the state government to convince the land owners to part with their land on monthly rental basis for setting up of such integrated smart check-gate in Bagli, Borsora and Cherragaon.
The South West Khasi Hills District, which shares an international border with Bangladesh and has Custom Check Gates in Bagli, Borsora, and Cherragaon (with Borsora as its headquarters), is a critical location. Establishing integrated check-gates in these areas is essential for curbing illegal coal transportation.
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“With the commencement of legal coal mining in Meghalaya, establishing these check-gates becomes even more crucial. The possibility of illegal coal mining and transportation, disguised as legally mined coal, will increase significantly once legal extraction begins,” the committee stated.
The committee warned that without immediate action, there’s a risk of pilferage and illegal transportation of coal.
