GUWAHATI: After almost a month’s hiatus, the criminal investigation department (CID) of Assam Police is once again looking to step up vigil against coal-laden trucks entering the state from Meghalaya.
Sources at CID, Assam Police here said manpower limitations in the wake of engagement of police personnel on poll duty had slowed down the process of verification of coal depots in Byrnihat besides monitoring of movement of trucks from Meghalaya through the inter-state border points.
It may be noted that a team was constituted by the department to verify the legality of coal depots in Byrnihat following reports of illegal transportation of coal from Meghalaya and interception of 12 coal-laden trucks by CID, Assam police, in January this year.
“However, police personnel deployed in poll duty have rejoined office a few days back. So we are now looking to again regroup and monitor movement of coal to the state from Meghalaya. As it is, we are closely monitoring the Byrnihat route and another point at Damra route,” a senior police officer, CID (Assam Police), told The Shillong Times here on Thursday.
About five to six officers in the team itself had to be deployed for duty in the three-phase elections from April 11 to 23, 2019.
Despite a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal on coal mining in Meghalaya since 2014, unscientific extraction of coal from illegal rat-hole mines of the hill state and transportation of the mineral to other states has been reported from time to time.
The CID team had earlier this year found abandoned coal depots near Byrnihat and some coal traders absconding, apparently in a bid to avoid verification.
CID sources maintain that illegally transported coal from Meghalaya is dumped in depots in Byrnihat near the inter-state border and subsequently taken to West Bengal and Bihar via Assam.