SHILLONG: The Opposition Congress has questioned the attitude of the state government for not calling an independent probe into the allegations of illegal mining and transportation of coal.
“I don’t know why the government is scared of having a probe or an inquiry. If they think they are right and have not done anything wrong, why not have an independent probe or inquiry?” asked Congress MLA from Mawryngkneng constituency, David Nongrum.
“If you are hiding, trying to defend yourself by saying you have not done anything, means there is something wrong,” Nongrum said.
It may be mentioned that lately there has been a growing demand for an independent probe into illegal mining and transportation of coal after a series of allegations surfaced.
From Opposition Congress to other political leaders and civil society groups, all are pitching for the same.
However, the state government has rubbished the reports as mere allegations without base and refraining from calling a probe into the charges.
“Why is Bah Prestone defending? …We brought the facts out. Just 10 days back we had gone to Jaintia Hills where the district mineral officer showed us the coordinates of the location of the coal. We had gone to all those depots and also calculated the coal, which is roughly about 15,000 metric tonnes,” said Nongrum.
“I am saying even if you keep out 20,000 metric tonnes and look at the amount of coal they have measured through the department (1,41,000 metric tonnes), so where is the 1,20,000 metric tons? And why are you not auctioning the 22,000 metric tonnes….. Why are you delaying it when the Supreme Court has passed the order to auction it since June?” he questioned.
Requesting the state government to be fair and square, Nongrum said, “In Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills they don’t show. Why should they auction the coal so fast? It is because they won’t benefit. I will tell you earlier there were only
three or four people who were benefitting. I know for a fact that now in Jaintia Hills, only one particular family is benefitting.”
Nongrum pointed out that the Jaintia Trucks Association has also come out in the open claiming instances of illegal transportation of coal, “but they are helpless.”
“They have their coal and also supply illegally but at a huge cost and without the government getting any revenue. Who is losing? It is not just the government but they are also losing,” he said, adding that they were earning only Rs 5000 as against Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 per truck.
Nongrum alleged that the coal mafia, on the other hand, are earning Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh from each truck.
“Mafia-political nexus and money is going to turn our state into a state of lawlessness. All the other states are improving and we are going backwards,” he added.