In Brief
In these applications related to illegal coal mining in Meghalaya, the Supreme Court addressed whether coal that had been illegally extracted could be transported. The Court permitted conditional transportation of such coal during rainy seasons, but only under strict supervision. The State of Meghalaya was directed to establish a comprehensive verification mechanism, supervised by a Deputy Commissioner-ranked officer, and to publicly publish the procedure within one week. The Court balanced the need to clear accumulated coal against environmental protection and the risk of the permission being misused to facilitate further illegal mining. Final disposal of the applications was kept pending the outcome of related batch cases.
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