SHILLONG: Irked with the repeated media reports on alleged illegal transportation of coal, the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), an ally of the ruling coalition, has urged Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to summon all the ministers and political parties in the MDA for thrashing out the issue once and for all.
Agriculture Minister, Banteidor Lyngdoh, who is also president of PDF, on Thursday, said that it would be in the fitness of things if the chief minister convenes a meeting to enable all concerned to discuss the entire issue across the table.
“I will discuss the matter with the chief minister,” he said while adding he does not like to see everyday something or other being written in newspapers about the illegal coal transportation.
According to Lyngdoh, continuous allegation is not good and it does not look healthy for the government as well.
It may be recalled that BJP, which is a partner of the NPP-led coalition, has been strident in its call for ending alleged clandestine coal smuggling carried out with official connivance. Despite Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s denial of charge, the saffron party has stuck to its gun.
It seems Lyngdoh’s move for an in-house discussion on the thorny issue is apparently aimed at reining in the BJP from issuing repeated statements in the media for public consumption.
Recalling that he and other ministers in the Cabinet had apprised the chief minister about the entire issue a few months back, he added that the party does not want illegal transportation to take place as the state is losing revenue. “If the movement takes place with challan, we don’t have any problem,” he said while recalling that the Group of Ministers in their last meeting had urged the chief minister to take up the matter.
Pointing out that issue of illegal coal mining keeps on coming up now and then, he said that as responsible leaders, it was their duty to apprise the chief minister about the issue.
When asked about the demands of a CBI probe into the allegations and involvement of one of the ministers, he said that he cannot comment anything on the matter until and unless there is evidence about illegal transportation of coal. “Some allegations are there and if it is true, the culprit should be arrested and treated accordingly,” he said.