Justice (retd) BP Katakey Commission:

=> The State government has constituted a one-man inquiry commission with Justice BP Katakey, retired judge of Gauhati High Court to probe the allegations of large-scale illegal coal mining and destruction of biodiversity in the Dehing Patkai forests since 2003

=> This mining project is also known as Tikak open cast mining project.

=> The Commission, which had recently submitted its findings to the State Government.

Findings of the commission:

=> Shocking and wide ranging illegalities concerning coal mining in the biodiversity-rich Dehing Patkai rainforests by Coal India Limited (CIL), Forest Department, Mines and Minerals Department, and Pollution Control Board Assam.

=> Bare rampant rat-hole mining and environmental damaging open cast mining by Coal mafia.

=> Failure of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh district administrations and police for their lapses in checking illegal coal mining and transportation, which “amounts to tacit approval for perpetrating the illegalities”.

=> CBI inquiry to get to the roots of the illegal mining and identify the individuals and organisations (other than CIL whose illegalities have already been established) responsible for carrying out illegal mining activities.

By: ASRAF UDDIN AHMED