The Meghalaya government has finally come up with a draft policy for handing over and auctioning of more than 32 lakh metric tonnes of coal as directed by the Supreme Court in July.

The draft policy, which has been submitted to a committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal, will have to be further fine-tuned before it receives approval.

According to an affidavit filed by the state mining and geology department in the Supreme Court, the total quantity of coal, which has been extracted and assessed, but is yet to be transported, is 32,56,715 metric tonnes.

The government had noted that this amount of coal was lying in four mining districts of the state.

The court, in its judgment and order passed on July 3, directed the government to hand over the coal to Coal India Limited which will have to auction the coal, in all likelihoodthrough e-auctioning.

Ever since the order and judgment of the apex court, the government has been seeking time to frame a policy to facilitate the handing over of the coal.

Speaking after chairing a meeting of the committee here, committee chairman Justice (retired) B.P. Katakey informed that recently, the government had sent the draft policy for consideration.

“The draft policy has been placed before the committee, and we have put forward the committee’s suggestions to the government and Coal India Limited. They will discuss our suggestions and come up with the final draft,” Katakey said.

A meeting to study the final draft of the policy will be held on November 21.

He also made it clear that the committee’s job is to ensure that the handing over of the coal to Coal India Limited and the subsequent auctioning should take place according to the Supreme Court’s order.

The committee chairman said they would see that the transportation of 32,56,715 metric tonnes of coal is done in a proper manner.

“Other than the 32 lakh metric tonnes of coal which the Supreme Court has taken notice of in the order, nobody else can transport their coal which has not been legally mined,” he said.

The committee will meet on Friday on issues related to allegations that illegal mining and transportation of coal were still taking place.