Shillong, Aug 25: A total of 26 coke oven plants were not allowed to start operation in the absence of the consent to establish (CTE) and consent to operate (CTO). This was stated in the third interim report submitted by Justice BP Katakey before the Meghalaya High Court, which conducted a hearing on a PIL related to the matter on Thursday.

The third interim report has recorded that the State of Meghalaya informed the single-member committee that none of the 26 coke oven plants in the State “is presently in operation.”

The State also informed the committee that the certificates signifying consent to establish (CTE) and the further certificates permitting such coke oven plants to operate (CTO) have not been issued or are no longer valid and the 26 coke oven plants cannot commence any activity without obtaining the CTOs; just as no new coke oven plant can operate without obtaining the CTE.

Paragraph 3.19 of the third interim report records as follows: “3.19 In any case, in the absence of the CTE and CTO none of the aforesaid 26 Coke Oven Plants can start its operation, which, if done, would be in violation of the provisions of the environmental laws.”

The 26 added parties seeking to operate coke oven plants in the State said that they accept the position as indicated in the third interim report.

However, they said that nothing in the recommendations made by Justice Katakey or any order passed by this Court in the present proceedings should stand in the way of such parties applying for and obtaining due permission or license or appropriate certificate to establish or operate coke oven plants in accordance with law.

It was the further submission on behalf of the 26 added parties that the conditions for obtaining permission or license to operate coke oven plants have been altered by the State to the detriment of all those intending to operate coke oven plants and, as such, a writ petition has been instituted in this Court challenging the sitting norms issued by the State Pollution Control Board on December 23, 2020.

In its order, the full bench of the High Court has made it clear that the present proceedings will not stand in the way of any person interested in operating coke oven plants applying for and obtaining due permission in accordance with law from the appropriate authorities.

“It will also be open to the 26 added parties or such of them who have instituted the writ petition challenging the new norms to pursue the petition in accordance with law. The pendency of the present proceedings should not stand in the way of such writ petition being prosecuted,” the order said.

“As a consequence of the directions issued pertaining to the 26 added parties, such added parties have no further role in the present proceedings and, as requested on their behalf, such 26 added parties are discharged from the present proceedings,” it said.