Case of 15 ‘missing’ miners SHILLONG: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) will hold a two-day final hearing from September 27 of the case of 15 coal miners who were feared dead after being trapped in a flooded mine at Rongsa Awe, Nongalbibra in South Garo Hills on July 6, 2012. The pending case came up for hearing on Thursday and the NGT fixed the matter for the final hearing on September 27 and 28 while asserting that there will not be any further adjournment. The statement of all parties including the witnesses was taken and the parties can avail the affidavits from NGT before the next hearing, it said. Supreme Court lawyer and State counsel Ranjan Mukherjee said over phone from Delhi on Thursday that the submission of the State government before the NGT will be that the government had acted following information about the disappearance of the miners with search operations carried out by rescue teams of the Centre’s National Disaster and Rescue Force (NDRF) on several occasions. Mukherjee said NDRF had submitted both interim and final reports and as per the findings, neither the bodies nor the skeletal remains of the miners were found. According to Mukherjee even if the NGT orders for compensation, the State government will not have any role as it would be the responsibility of the mine owner and the contractor. Mukherjee admitted that it is still a mystery as to the whereabouts of the missing miners since their bodies are yet to be traced.