Stopping illegal coal trucks a daunting task

SHILLONG: The Ri Bhoi district administration and police are facing a daunting task of curbing illegal transportation of coal outside the state following a Supreme Court order last year.
The district police have detected 488 coal-laden trucks flouting rules since the Apex Court extended the transportation deadline for four months last November.
Ri Bhoi SP Ramesh Singh said FIRs were filed at different police stations and “the cases are in different stages of investigation”.
There is a surge in the number of trucks transporting coal.
Ri Bhoi being the exit point for coal bound for Beltola in Assam, regulation as per NGT guidelines becomes a huge task, especially before the election when most of the police personnel are deployed for poll duty.
It will require a coordinated effort from different districts and departments to check the illegal trucks.
Recently, Assam police arrested Kuldeep Singh, who is allegedly among those controlling a thriving coal syndicate.
His arrest and subsequent confession have exposed a much bigger coal smuggling nexus thriving on the Assam-Meghalaya border.
Singh had reportedly revealed the names of many influential people who are on the Assam police’s radar.
Mining in the state has been stopped by the National Green Tribunal and a limit has been imposed on the amount of coal to be transported from the already mined coal.