A committee appointed by the Meghalaya High Court has ordered the demolition of 33 Coke Oven Plants operating illegally in two districts of the state, citing the risk of secret and unauthorised production if the units are allowed to remain standing.The directions were issued by the Justice B P Katakey Committee, which has asked for the immediate release of funds to carry out the demolition in East Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills districts. As per the committee’s 34th interim report submitted before the High Court, 16 Coke Oven Plants in East Jaintia Hills and 17 in West Khasi Hills are to be demolished without delay. The committee said that keeping the structures intact could allow operators to restart production quietly, which would defeat earlier court orders.
“The Committee recommends immediate release of the required fund to the District Administration of East Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills District for demolition of the aforementioned Coke Oven Plants so as to rule out the possibility of the commencement of the production stealthily,” Justice Katakey stated in the report. The committee has also directed the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of both districts to ensure that none of the plants operate until they are fully demolished. In East Jaintia Hills, the Deputy Commissioner has been specifically instructed to complete the demolition of the 16 plants within a fortnight of receiving the funds and submit a compliance report.
The Directorate of Mineral Resources Meghalaya, based in Shillong, has been asked to make the required funds available immediately. According to the report, an estimated amount of Rs 42.50 lakh will be needed to demolish the 17 Coke Oven Plants in West Khasi Hills alone.The demolition order follows directions issued by the Supreme Court of India in its order dated November 25, 2024, in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 720 of 2023, filed by Druk Fuel Limited against the State of Meghalaya and others.