An interim report of the Justice (retired) B.P. Katakey-led committee has highlighted a major failure in ground-level policing in East Jaintia Hills, stating that officers of Umpleng Outpost under Khliehriat Police Station failed to detect an operational illegal coal mine in Lumbangla village.The lapses, the panel report stated, had occurred despite the site having reinforced cement concrete boundaries along with cranes, tools and 2,112 MT of illegally mined coal dumped nearby. The findings came after a complaint was lodged by Mawlai MLA Brightstarwell Marbaniang on November 19, 2025. The complaint was supported by video clips showing active mining. Marbaniang informed the committee that despite complaints lodged by the Dorbar Shnong Lumbangla with the Superintendent of Police (SP) on August 11, 2025 and the Chief Secretary on May 9, 2025, no action was taken.
The committee further observed that only two coal dumps were seized despite photographic evidence showing cranes and mining tools near the illegal mine.
The photographs confirmed reinforced cement concrete boundaries at the mine opening and fresh plastic-covered huts, indicating that the mine was long-running and active. In his remarks, Justice Katakey concluded by stating that illegal mining in Lumbangla continues despite the National Green Tribunal’s 2014 ban, the Supreme Court’s judgment of September 3, 2019 and repeated directives. To address the lapses, the committee recommended that the DC and SP identify vulnerable mining zones, intensify patrols, secure all ingress and egress points and prevent movement of illegally mined coal.