SHILLONG, Aug 2: Meghalaya’s messy coal mining matters figured in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, courtesy a BJP MP, with Minister for Coal and Mines Prahlad Joshi providing written answers which strangely bear no resemblance with the ground reality.
According to information received here, while furnishing reply to a series of questions raised by Rakesh Sinha, who has a known affinity for Meghalaya, Joshi stunningly denied that there was anything amiss about coal mining in the state.
The questions asked by Sinha were (a) whether illegal coal mining has been taking place in Meghalaya? (b) Whether Government has identified areas where such illegal activities are taking place and steps to stop them (c) Impact of coal mining on ecology of the state and damage already done. No of people arrested and punished for such illegal activities (d) Whether it is a fact that wherever such illegal mines are created they are creating huge open ditches which remain unfilled as neither Government agencies nor private ones take responsibility for this? Number of such open ditches in Meghalaya.
The answers provided by the Minister — which were obviously based on the inputs provided by the Meghalaya Government — are that the state government is enforcing relevant provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957 to stop such activities and cases are being registered under Section 21 of the Act against violation. The Minister says strict instructions have been passed to Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) to control stray incidents of illegal coal mining. The DCs have been issuing prohibitory orders to stop stray incidents of illegal coal mining from time to time and patrol and vigilance is enhanced in coal bearing areas.
As per the Union Minister’s reply, regular raids and surprise inspections of mines are being conducted by Joint Patrolling Teams and District Special Task Forces. Also that a Monitoring Committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary is constituted for monthly monitoring and to review action taken and cases booked under the MMDR Act, 1957.
The Union Minister also informed the House that a Centralised Helpline has been created to receive complaints and information on illegal activities related to coal mining. On the impact to the ecology the Union Minister categorically said there is no impact to the ecology since coal mining has stopped.
On the number of persons arrested, the Minister said 219 persons were arrested for illegal mining of coal from 2014 to May 31, 2021.
On the question of open rat hole mines (ditches) and total number of such ditches in the coal mining areas of Meghalaya, the Minister said, “The state government has been implementing an action plan prepared by the Committee constituted by the NGT and approved by the NGT to down the opening of mines which were created before the ban imposed by the Tribunal in 2014 and is putting in place the safety measures around mine openings where there is still mineable coal reserves which can be utilised in future in accordance with law”.
As is evident from the answers given in the upper house of parliament, the state government has been deliberately providing a false narrative as a clever ploy to sidetrack the three major mine accidents have occurred since 2018 till the month of May this year essentially establishing the fact that illegal mines are still operating.
It is an open secret that illegal coal trade is a flourishing business and every day a few hundred coal laden trucks find their way out of the state. Knowledgeable circles claim that each such truck pays Rs 90,000 to different collection agents before meandering to Assam. Besides, nobody in the state has ever heard of any step ever been taken by the state administration as has been claimed by the Union minister.
The question that belies an answer is what redressal can be obtained when the central government mouths a string of blatant lies, being fed by the state government to its ulterior end.
The BJP parliamentarian, citizens here hope, will doggedly pursue the matter to establish the grim reality of unabated coal trade and the state government’s strange reluctance to rein it in.
