Police firing in East Jaintia Hills
SHILLONG: The State Government has decided to wait for the Magisterial Inquiry report into the firing incident in East Jaintia Hills before instituting any high level probe.
Home Minister Roshan Warjri communicated this to the Joint Action Committee comprising of several NGOs from Jaintia Hills which demanded a CBI probe into the death of two innocent people due to police firing at Wapungskur village in East Jaintia Hills.
“We are demanding a CBI probe into the death of the two people during the indefinite economic strike called by the Movement for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Livelihood-Meghalaya (MIPRL) in opposition to the NGT ban on coal mining in the State,” the JAC said in a memorandum submitted to Home Minister here on Wednesday.
The JAC said that all officials involved in the firing should be suspended and initiate proceeding against them accordingly and if they are found guilty they should be dismissed from service while in the meantime, they should be transferred to another district for the smooth completion of the proceeding and justice.
“We have no faith on any inquiry other than a CBI inquiry. If the case is given to the CBI, the hidden truth will come to light and punish the persons involved as per the law by which the deceased will get justice,” the JAC said.
According to JAC, the incident paved the way for thousands of questions to be raised and the public wanted to know the hidden truth.
“The firing by the police was pre-planned and we will like to know under whose order or direction the firing was done,” the JAC said.
Interestingly, the NGOs however remained silent on the action that should be taken against leaders of the MIPRL which called the strike which led to the violent incident and the loss of innocent lives.
Asked if the JAC would also demand from the government to take action against the leaders of the MIPRL, the JAC leaders evaded a reply, saying, “The MIPRL should also come forward and speak out against the incident.”
Earlier the State government had stated that the persons calling such strikes would be responsible for any damages/ loss caused to public/ private property under the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act and will be liable to compensate any loss.
Transportation of coal permitted in W K Hills
Deputy Secretary, Mining department, C.K.Marak has informed that in pursuance of the orders issued on Sept 25 by the Committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal in connection with the transportation of extracted coal that has been assessed in West Khasi Hills District, transportation of the assessed coal from the district is permitted subject to strict adherence to the guidelines for transportation of the extracted coal issued by the Committee constituted by the Tribunal.
It may be mentioned that the actual assessed quantity of extracted coal in West Khasi Hills District is 3,94,875 MT.
The extracted coal which has not been assessed will not be permitted to be removed, in any manner whatsoever, in terms of the order of Sept 16 passed by the Tribunal, Marak said.