SHILLONG: Khliehriat MLA and Cabinet Minister Kyrmen Shylla asserted that there is no illegal mining in Khliehriat.
Speaking to a section of reporters, he said, “I never go to the mining area so I don’t think illegal mining is there. I don’t have anything in my notice that illegal mining is going on. I used to visit before when it was open and when everything is closed after the NGT ban, we are scared to go there. We don’t feel the need to go there also.”
When asked, he denied the presence of coal mafia. “I just heard people say there is coal mafia. I don’t know who they are so no comments on that. Who are the coal mafia? If they say the coal owners are mafia so ….. everyone is a coal owner. I would love to know who they are,” he said.
He added that that livelihood of the people depended on coal and after the coal ban, the lives of the people have turned worse.
On the steps to ensure that coal transportation and mining will be done in a legal way as violation of NGT ban continues, Shylla said he advised the police to not allow the people to take law in their hands whether it is coal mining or any other activities.
According to him, to check illegal coal mining, the police are taking steps and are being watchful.
On the nexus of police personnel and NGOs involved in illegal coal mining, he said, “The law should take care of that, if that is the case. Whoever is doing that, they should be punished. The law is there, they should follow the law. We should not take the law in our hands.”
When asked if the people should search for alternate source of livelihood other than coal, he said, “It would be of great help if that happens. I wish we from the government could provide something for the public as we don’t know how long the NGT ban will continue.”
