SHILLONG: The opposition Congress has questioned the state government over the delay in instituting an inquiry into the assault on CSWO leaders Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma even after its assurance on the floor of the house that an independent inquiry will be ordered.
Talking to newsmen here on Saturday, senior Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said the delay was giving rise to suspicion in the minds of the citizens about a nexus between the coal barons and the government.
Stating that the government is not coming clean on what kind of inquiry will be ordered into the incident, Ampareen said that the NPP-led MDA coalition government had assured the opposition in the Assembly of an independent inquiry, but till now nothing has been done.
She said the delay has got many to suspect a nexus between the government and the coal barons.
Pointing out also that the NPP during its election campaign had assured to clear the confusion on the NGT ban on coal mining, Lyngdoh said that the government should have taken some definite steps to see that mining becomes legal in Meghalaya.
She opined that the government should be bold enough to take a concrete decision on the matter for peace to prevail in Meghalaya.
“Illegal coal mining and the nexus between the government and the coal barons is an indication which needs to be quashed or followed up by the government at the earliest,” Lyngdoh said while adding that since the NPP championed the agenda of coal mining during its election campaign, there is belief that the government is hand in glove with the coal barons.
She said that the state government must take bold and strong decisions on the matter for bringing peace and progress in Jaintia Hills region or else that there will be a huge fallout in the region which will be worse than Mookhep firing.
