Shillong, July 12: The Meghalaya High Court on Tuesday has decided to look into the point of view of the petitioners, who are aggrieved by its order for dismantling of the existing coke plants, which was recently stayed by the Supreme Court.

In its order while hearing a PIL, the full bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said, “However, the point of view of the petitioners before the Supreme Court needs to be looked into and, as such, Mahanta’s clients are permitted a week to file the relevant application including all grounds for variation of the order dated May 24, 2022 and possible challenges to the preliminary recommendations of Justice Katakey as contained in the report of May 23, 2022.”

On June 27, the Supreme Court stayed the order of the High Court for dismantling the coke plants after hearing a special leave petition filed by a party that runs a coke unit in the state.

The court said by the order of the Supreme Court, leave was given to the petitioners before that Court to apply to be impleaded in the present proceedings and this Court has been required to hear such petitioners for modification of the interim order of May 24, 2022.

Mahanta appears on behalf of the petitioners before the Supreme Court and seeks time to apply to be impleaded. The application for impleadment will only be a formality, it said.

The court said the order of the Supreme Court records that the grievance of the petitioners before the Supreme Court was against an order of May 24, 2022 by which this Court had accepted the findings contained in the preliminary report dated May 23, 2022 filed by Justice BP Katakey (Retd).

Justice Katakey had earlier been requested by an order of this Court of April 19, 2022 to ascertain the extent to which the directions issued by the Supreme Court and by the National Green Tribunal in respect of establishing and running of coke plants under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 had been complied with by the State.

The petitioners before the Supreme Court contended that the order dated May 24, 2022 had been passed by this Court adversely affecting such petitioners, but without hearing them.

Such petitioners also asserted that no environmental impact assessment report was necessary to establish a coke plant.

Meanwhile, Coal India Limited has sought copies of affidavits filed by the State and the reports prepared, particularly pertaining to how the accumulated coal may be dealt with.

All relevant reports, affidavits and papers in such regard should be forwarded to Advocate-on-Record for Coal India Limited as expeditiously as possible, the court directed.