SHILLONG: Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma has stressed on the need for an independent inquiry to verify the irregularities as far as coal transportation is concerned.
“There is a need to verify by independent agencies to see what are the irregularities happening as far as coal is concerned in the state,” Mukul said on Wednesday.
Recalling the attacks on CSWO members, seizures of coal trucks and transfer of officers in the state, Mukul said the irregularities must be verified by the independent agencies as there seems to be a mala fide intention somewhere.
He claimed that these are not just based on mere assumptions and presumptions but facts and happenings that are indicative that something somewhere is wrong.
On the resignation of NGT chairperson BP Katakey, Mukul maintained that the NGT committee is an independent panel and when the state government does not provide information to the queries of the committee, it indicates that there is more than what meets the eye.
Katakey, who was appointed chairman of the NGT committee with the support of the Supreme Court, had resigned on Monday citing personal reasons while sources confirmed that non-cooperation from the state government was one of the reasons for his resignation.
The NGT panel wanted details of the 32 lakh metric tonnes of coal which, however, was not provided by the government.
Mukul also said that there are allegations of various manipulative exercises being resorted to facilitate movement of extracted coal lying in different parts of the state in the name of seized coal.
“I am told the entire auctioning process was at the behest of political leadership of the state to manipulate and create auctioning of the unclaimed coal,” he said while adding that the state government in its inventory submitted before the Supreme Court has maintained that there are 32 lakh metric tonnes of coal but there are many people whose names have been mentioned in the inventory but surprisingly, they do not have coal.
Mukul added that it is important for the NGT and its committee to verify the owners to whom the coal is going to be auctioned.
