SHILLONG/GUWAHATI: Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui seems to have been caught unawares about the rampant violation of NGT ban on transportation of coal. A day after Assam police had intercepted coal-laden lorries and arrested the operators, a somewhat surprised Rymbui said that he had sought for a report from the DGP and only after that he would take action for stifling coal transportation.
Two lorries were detained and five persons arrested in connection with illegal transportation, Assam police sources in Guwahati confirmed on Wednesday.
Basistha police station officer in-charge, Partha Pratim Gogoi informed The Shillong Times that the arrests were made on Tuesday and that the five were being interrogated.
Those arrested include Sudipta Pal (34) who hails from Baksa district in lower Assam and four others: Myntoimi Kyndait (27) of Khliehriat; Dehum Tariang (27) of Raliang; Heime Suting (20) of Umlang and Salches Phawa (19) of Lad Rymbai.
Two among the four are drivers of the trucks while two are handymen.
The coal-laden trucks, bearing registration number ML11 4188 and ML04 C 5395, were seized for failure to produce legal documents.
According to reports in a section of the media in Guwahati, 150 trucks had entered Assam on Monday night while as many as 650 trucks had entered the state on Tuesday night.
A case under Sections 120(B)/379/406/420 of the IPC has been registered in connection with the incident.
Asked whether the arrested persons have revealed any details or informed at whose behest the activity was carried out, Gogoi said, “So far they have not revealed anything but we are investigating the case.”
As the issue pertaining to illegal transportation of coal continues to resurface time and again, the ruling MDA Government has come under questioning with credible reports of trucks transporting illegal coal without being intercepted by police.
While Rymbui has been trying to streamline the functioning of the department, nothing has changed much with the black diamond being illegally ferried out of the state in violation of the ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal on such transportation.
Rymbui was entrusted with the Home portfolio in controversial circumstances when his predecessor James Sangma’s name figured in smuggling of coal — a lucrative trade for the coal-rich state.
Meanwhile, the CBI is currently carrying out an investigation in Barak Valley about an organised racket selling Meghalaya coal to Bangladesh via Karimganj in Assam.
“All along I have said that whatever allegations are there it is the duty of the government to ensure that no illegality takes place,” the Home minister said while reacting to continuous allegations about illegal coal transportation thriving in the state.
The minister said that so far he not got a report which has been sought by him.
While the MDA Government continues to be on denial mode on the allegations, the allegation of syndicated supply of coal to Assam led to James Sangma being stripped of the Home portfolio earlier this year. The claims of the government that no illegal coal mining and transportation fell flat two years ago when more than a dozen labourer working in an illegal coal mine at Ksan died and even social activists were grievously assaulted at East Jaintia Hills while they were taking pictures of the illegal coal mining taking place in the area.
The allegations of illegal coal transportation in truck only gets substantiated as time and several trucks carrying illegal coal were detected while there were several instances when illegal coal laden trucks met with accidents on the national highways of the state.