Ranchi, Aug 1 The Jharkhand High Court has directed authorities to initiate immediate attachment proceedings against Panem Coal Mines for non-payment of royalty dues amounting to Rs 118 crore.
The court issued strong instructions to ensure the execution of the earlier attachment order that had remained unimplemented.
A division bench led by Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Friday, also instructed the Superintendent of Police of West Bardhaman district in West Bengal to cooperate with the Jharkhand Police in executing the property attachment.
During the hearing, it was revealed that despite a warrant being issued and an attachment order given by the Certificate Officer of Dumka district, no effective action had been taken against Panem Coal Mines.
The court expressed concern over the inaction and directed strict compliance.
Panem Coal Mines is a joint venture between the Punjab State Electricity Board and a private company based in Kolkata. The company was granted mining leases by the Jharkhand government for operations in Dumka and Pakur districts.
However, it is alleged that Panem violated lease terms by mining beyond permissible limits, resulting in a loss of over Rs 100 crore to the state exchequer.
Following complaints by local residents and civil society organisations, a government investigation was conducted, which confirmed the violations and the consequent revenue loss due to illegal mining activities.
Despite these findings, the state government has reportedly not taken any decisive punitive action against the company so far.
Advocate Ram Subhag Singh, who filed the PIL, informed the court that the company had failed to provide rehabilitation or basic amenities to the affected villagers.
He also raised concerns about environmental degradation in the mining zones and the growing resentment among the local population due to official apathy.
The High Court scheduled the next hearing for August 11.
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