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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'I go to Parliament to create impact, not ruckus': Raghav Chadha rubbishes AAP's allegations
New Delhi (PTI): "I go to Parliament to create impact, not ruckus," said Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Saturday as he rejected allegations levelled against him by the Aam Aadmi Party, calling them "false" and part of a "coordinated campaign".
In a video, Chadha dismissed claims that he did not join opposition walkouts, terming the charge a "blatant lie".
He challenged his detractors to cite even a single instance where he failed to participate and said parliamentary proceedings are recorded through CCTV cameras.
Refuting another allegation that he refused to sign a motion related to the Chief Election Commissioner, Chadha said no party leader had asked him, either formally or informally, to sign it. He added that several other MPs from his party had also not signed the motion.
The MP said his focus in Parliament has been on raising public issues such as GST, income tax, air pollution in Delhi, water concerns in Punjab, public healthcare, education, railway passenger issues, menstrual health, unemployment and inflation.
Chadha said that he goes to Parliament to "create impact not ruckus" as it runs on taxpayers' money and it is his responsibility to highlight their concerns. "Every lie will be exposed," he said.
