Retired HC judge to head judicial probe into blast at Meghalaya's illegal coal mine
Shillong (PTI): Retired high court judge, Justice RS Chauhan, was appointed the head of the three-member judicial panel that will probe the February 5 blast at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, in which 31 people were killed, according to a notification.
The panel has been tasked with fixing accountability and examining possible constitutional exemptions to central mining laws, said the notification dated February 14.
Retired IPS officer H Nongpluh and former IAS officer PS Dkhar are the other members of the panel, set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act 1952, it said.
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Justice Chauhan was the chief justice of the Uttarakhand High Court and the Telangana High Court.
The commission will conduct a comprehensive fact-finding exercise into the explosion at the illegal mine in the remote Thangsku area of Mynsngat village, according to the notification.
"The Commission may submit its report embodying the findings and its recommendations thereon to the State Government within a period of 6 (six) months from the date of the notification," it said.
The commission has been mandated to identify acts or omissions by authorities and examine whether lapses contributed to the disaster.
Beyond fixing responsibility, the panel will examine the root causes of illegal coal mining in Meghalaya and review the working conditions of labourers dependent on the industry, the notification said.
It will also recommend remedial measures, administrative reforms and financial rehabilitation schemes for those affected by the National Green Tribunal's 2014 ban on coal mining.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had on February 9 announced the judicial inquiry into the blast.
Meanwhile, the government transferred East Jaintia Hills SP Vikash Kumar and posted him as the head of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, according to another notification.
ANTF chief PK Rasgania will be the new SP of East Jaintia Hills.
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KSDL invites innovative technology to check sandalwood theft
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has invited farmers, scientists and organisations to come up with innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft in the state.
The state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures Mysuru Sandal Soap has also planned sandalwood cultivation, state Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.
"In a bid to promote sandalwood cultivation, the KSDL has planned a major initiative. As part of it, farmers, scientists, and organisations possessing information on advanced equipment or innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft have been invited to approach KSDL and share the details," Patil said in a statement.
Those interested in this initiative will be given an opportunity to demonstrate such technologies before the organisation, the minister said, adding if the proposed solutions are found suitable and effective, steps will be taken for consideration and implementation.
Patil stated that the cost involved in deploying technologies aimed at preventing sandalwood theft would be borne by KSDL.
Further, with a view to encouraging sandalwood cultivation, four farmers who have supplied the highest quantity of sandalwood to KSDL will be honoured with awards on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on June 4, he said.
On the same occasion, police personnel and forest officials who have made notable progress in apprehending sandalwood thieves and registering cases, along with members of the public who have provided credible information leading to such action, will also be recognised and rewarded, the minister added.
Patil observed that farmers cultivating sandalwood trees on their lands have been facing increasing threats due to theft in recent years. Illegal felling and theft of sandalwood trees have continued for decades.
Although stringent laws are in place to curb such activities, the number of cases resulting in convictions remains very low, he noted.
"In this context, it becomes the responsibility of the organisation to extend both legal and technical support to farmers and encourage them to take up sandalwood cultivation on a larger scale," he said.
According to him, over the past three years, KSDL has procured 174.5 metric tonne of sandalwood directly from farmers across the state and transferred Rs 6.08 crore to their respective accounts.
