No coal mining licences issued by Meghalaya, HC told

14 Nov 2022 CW Team

No license has been issued for mining of coal in Meghalaya in any form whatsoever, the state government told the High Court last week.

Advocate General Amit Kumar said that the state has forwarded to the Centre the applications made by several parties seeking a license to undertake coal mining. The Central government has referred the applications to an expert body.

This was revealed during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) on illegal coal mining in the Meghalaya High Court.

The State government also informed the Court that it has warned truck owners’ associations that firm action would be taken against the individual truckers and the parent association if there is any attempt to transport fresh illegally mined coal.

With regard to auction of the previously mined coal, the state said that substantial progress has been made in terms of the timelines indicated in previous affidavits filed by the state and noticed in the orders passed by the High Court.

“Several steps have been taken to comply with the previous orders of the High Court in the matter, particularly relating to the auction of coal and to ensure that there is no mining of coal in the state at all or any transportation of coal otherwise than for auction of the previously mined coal,” the Advocate General said.

Meanwhile, the eighth interim report has been filed by Justice B P Katakey (retired) who has been appointed by the High Court to oversee the implementation of the directions issued by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the auction of previously illegally mined coal in accordance therewith.

Technology

28 Oct 2025

Building Faster, Smarter, and Greener!

Backed by ULCCS’s century-old legacy, U-Sphere combines technology, modular design and sustainable practices to deliver faster and more efficient projects. In an interaction with CW, Rohit Prabhakar, Director - Business Development, shares how the company’s integrated model of ‘Speed-Build’, ‘Smart-Build’ and ‘Sustain-Build’ is redefining construction efficiency, quality and environmental responsibility in India.U-Sphere positions itself at the intersection of speed, sustainability and smart design. How does this translate into measurable efficiency on the ground?At U..

Smart Roads, Smarter India

India’s infrastructure boom is not only about laying more kilometres of highways – it’s about building them smarter, safer and more sustainably. From drones mapping fragile Himalayan slopes to 3D machine-controlled graders reducing human error, technology is steadily reshaping the way projects are planned and executed. Yet, the journey towards digitisation remains complex, demanding not just capital but also coordination, training and vision.Until recently, engineers largely depended on Survey of India toposheets and traditional survey methods like total stations or DGPS to prepare detai..

Delay Analysis in Construction Arbitration

In construction disputes, ‘delay analysis’ is essential for establishing the cause of delay, which in turn determines whether the contractor is entitled to an extension of time and associated costs or whether the employer is justified in imposing liquidated damages. This article enunciates various methods employed in the analysis of construction delays. It provides a detailed overview of the techniques used to identify, quantify and apportion delays among project stakeholders that are critical for the resolution of disputes pertaining to extension of time (EOT) and substantiation of EOT cl..