SHILLONG: The issue of coal mining dominated 2018 and by the end of the year, two major incidents went to prove that illegal activities are going on in the coal belt of Jaintia Hills though the government kept vehemently denying it.
Mining continued to make headlines as the Assembly elections were approaching. Different political parties in the state made the issue as their top priority in the poll agenda.
While different parties criticised the previous Congress government for not resolving the issue for long, the Congress had claimed that it was trying its best.
Rat-hole mining is banned in the state since 2014.
Political parties tried to gain as much mileage out of the issue and many promised that the ban on coal mining would be lifted if they were voted to power.
Since then, the issue kept coming back on different platforms, at meetings and even on the floor of the House.
As several trucks transporting coal illegally were detected in different parts of the state, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma insisted that there were no illegal mining going on.
Some trucks were also detected in Shillong city due to the intervention of CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing.
Kharshiing pursued the case and went to Jaintia Hills with her colleague Amita Sangma. While taking photographs of trucks loaded with coal, the two activists were brutally attacked by a mob of 30-40 people.
The duo were admitted in NEIGRIHMS in critical condition and had to undergo treatment for several weeks.
But the state government continued to be in denial mode about any illegal mining taking place in the state and the Opposition and NGOs pressed for CBI inquiry into the matter.
Under pressure, the government ordered for an independent inquiry into the matter and it was discussed in detail on the floor of the House but till date, the government has not decided who would head the inquiry panel.
A month after the attack on activists, another disaster took place when as many as 15 coal miners got trapped in an illegal rat hole mine at Ksan in East Jaintia Hills on December 13.
