JOWAI: After the NGT ban from April 2014, assessment of coal lying in the mining site and also in the dumping area along the road side was done.
Yet again, another assessment was done in January on behalf of two individuals and fresh mineral transport challans were also issued by the Directorate of Mineral Resources (DMR).
The DMR has issued the transport challans following an order issued by the Under Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Mining and Geology Department, CF Kharshiiing.
Transport challans were issued to Bison Shylla and Tuifill Shadap of Byndihati village.
Sources informed that Shylla is the brother of a local MLA, who is a cabinet minister.
The Directorate of Mineral Resources issued challans to transport 30300 metric tonnes of coal and 24200 metric tonnes to Shylla and Shadap respectively during January after the assessment of the coal conducted by the local magistrate on January 19 followed by the order issued by the Under Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Mining and Geology Department on May 16.
“This is nothing but a scam and misusing the government machineries just because one of the persons is a brother of the Minister”, a source said.
”The District Official has blindly re-assessed the quantity of coal. Where is the coal lying? Why fresh assessment was conducted only for the two individuals? Sources said.
“How can you re-assess the quantity of coal when it has been already assessed immediately after the NGT imposed a blanket ban on coal mining? I challenge if any coalmine owners in East Jaintia Hills are still having more than 20,000 or 30,000 metric tonnes of coal in any of their dumping places”, another coal trader said.
The NGT had already assessed the quantity of coal belonging to coal mine owners immediately after the ban on coal mining.
According to some residents of East Jaintia Hills, many coal mine owners are doing illegal mining which continue till date. Many are taking advantage of the NGT relaxation for transportation of all ready extracted coal and fresh coal is still being brought out from the mining sites for transportation.
