Court Panel Says Meghalaya Cement Firms Moved 2.93 Lakh Tonnes of Coal Without Approval

Overview

• The High Court-appointed Katakey committee, in its 37th interim report, named M/S Star Cement Meghalaya Limited and Star Cement Limited for moving about 2,93,569 tonnes of coal without approval under the 2024 transport rules.
• The panel said the coal arrived in 8,174 truckloads during 2025–26 after the companies applied on April 8, 2025 for permission that was never granted by the state.
• The report found no mineral challans, tax invoices, e-way bills, certificates of origin or weighment slips, and it noted the firms failed to file the weekly returns that the rules require.
• The committee disputed an East Jaintia Hills police claim of full compliance, pointing to an unapproved consignment linked to a March 4 truck crash and to weak investigations that did not examine landowners.
• Recommended steps include GPS-fitted trucks, colour-coded stickers, fixed corridors and smart check-gates, plus FIRs for more than 33,000 tonnes of missing coal and auction of about 1.55 lakh tonnes identified by aerial survey after court approval.