The Justice BP Katakey committee has flagged a discrepancy of 28,369.44 MT of coal in Meghalaya’s designated depots and asked the Mining and Geology Department and Directorate of Mineral Resources (DMR) to explain the shortfall.
In its 39th Interim Report, the committee said physical verification found 4,15,788.56 MT of re-assessed and re-verified inventoried coal across designated, temporary and additional depots. The quantity should have been 4,44,158 MT, based on 3,72,908 MT put to auction by MSTC on April 28, 2026, and 71,250 MT for which the lifting period had been extended.
The committee said the 71,250 MT was stored at two temporary depots — 15,190 MT at Moo Pynieng on the Sutnga Road in East Jaintia Hills and 56,060 MT at Madan Kyor Pailang.
It asked the Mining and Geology Department and DMR to explain how 28,369.44 MT of coal was found to be missing from the designated depots.
The committee also identified three depots that have remained non-functional since their inception — Depot No. 1 at 1 Kilo Sutnga Road and Depot No. 5 at Kongjong village in East Jaintia Hills, and Depot No. 8 at Nongpyndeng in Nongstoin, West Khasi Hills.
It urged the government to decide whether the vacant depots should be retained and, if not, return the land to the owners to avoid further rental expenditure.
Pynthorsale in East Jaintia Hills recorded the highest stock at 39,370 MT, followed by Tyrkap, Diengshynrym, with 17,138 MT, and Pathargittim in South Garo Hills with 16,736 MT. Jadigittim in South Garo Hills had only 340 MT.
The committee said all re-assessed and re-verified inventoried coal, except coal already sold with extended lifting periods, had been put up for sale in the April 28 auction.
