MDA all smoke, no fire: BJP on illegal coal trade

SHILLONG, June 4: A day after Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma vowed to crack down on illegal coal mining activities, the BJP on Friday said the NPP-led MDA Government lacks the political will to do so.
“The government has to have a political will to stop all these illegalities but, sadly, that is lacking,” state BJP president, Ernest Mawrie said on Friday.
Mawrie said it is not only the BJP, which is an MDA constituent, but opposition Congress  is also raising the issue of illegal coal mining and transportation at various platforms.
“The fact that such incidents are recurring and lives are being lost proves that not much has been done at the ground level to check the illegalities,” he observed.
Reiterating that the government needs to have a political will to stop the illegalities, he said the BJP will observe how the government carries out the process of inquiry and whether or not all those involved in illegal coal mining are arrested. Mawrie said the BJP favours a sustainable solution to the problem.
“We want to see how the state government handles the issue and how it carries out the investigation. If the probe will cover only this incident or the entire illegality of coal mining and transportation is something which remains to be seen,” Mawrie said.
Earlier, Congress had demanded an independent investigation into illegal mining and transportation of coal, including a separate inquiry into such activities in Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills.
It was learnt the government is examining the demand.
The issue of illegal coal mining has often cornered the government. Despite strong statements from it, coal mining activities are believed to be rampant in the state.