Garo forum’s RTI finds anomalies in coal transport, challans

SHILLONG: The A’chik Indigenous Justice Initiative Forum has alleged that unknown people are reaping benefits from the order of the National Green Tribunal to transport already extracted coal.
In a letter to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, the forum said once the order for transportation of coal and payment of royalty was ordered by NGT, many outsiders started taking the benefit. “As per RTI reports, some unknown people have paid the royalty for more than 1,71,000 MT and executed the road challans in their personal names instead of Chokpot Area Coal Supplier’s Association. It may be noted that these people are not the members of the association and do not even reside in the state,” the letter stated.
The forum claimed that if the records of the members present in Chokpot Area Coal Supplier’s Association are checked and payment of royalty and benefits of coal transport are sought, “plenty of irregularities are sure to come up”.
Also, it pointed out that coal from Chokpot cannot be transported to any other place, except Dalu LCS. “However, the challans issued as transport destinations of many unknown places and clarifications given by the DMR office are highly suspicious,” the letter said.