Atleast 33 coal-laden trucks from Bhutan were stopped at Dawki check post and disallowed them to transit to Bangladesh following confusion over the ban on transportation of coal by the Supreme Court.
The trucks have been stopped at Dawki, the trade route under West Jaiñtia Hills district along the India-Bangladesh since January 15, the day when the Supreme Court passed an order stopping transportation of extracted coal from Meghalaya.
Meghalaya International Exporters’ Chamber of Commerce Secretary, Meghalaya International Exporters’ Chamber of Commerce secretary D. Khonglah said that the coal-laden trucks were stopped by the customs even after exporters tried to convince that the Supreme Court’s order does not apply to a third country export with transit through India.
Sources in the Meghalaya government said that the Supreme Court order would not apply to transit coal which has originated outside the state.
Sources informed that the Bhutanese Consulate in Guwahati has been in touch with Customs officials at Dawki and officials of the Meghalaya mining and geology department to solve the problem.