SHILLONG, Dec 19: Adviser to the Chief Minister, Alexander Laloo Hek, has stated that the government needs to act against all ‘illegal’ coke factories which have come up under Elaka Sutnga in East Jaintia Hills.
“We have seen that even the NGT has taken note of the petition on the presence of illegal coke factories in East Jaintia Hills. Personally, I am of the view that stringent action as per relevant provisions of the law should be taken against people who are involved in the setting up of illegal coke factories,” the former Cabinet minister said here on Sunday.
According to him, the BJP, an ally in the NPP-led MDA Government, has always taken up issues concerning the people of the state. “We have always spoken on various illegal activities which are taking place. As a concerned national political party, we will continue to perform our duty in protecting the interest of the people,” he said.
Earlier, the state unit of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) said that the NGT order asking the state government to send a reply on the illegal coke factories under Elaka Sutnga substantiated the findings of the Assembly Committee on Environment. “During a visit a few months ago, the members of the committee had found the mushrooming of coke factories in areas under Elaka Sutnga,” AITC Meghalaya spokesperson, HM Shangpliang, said.
According to him, while three to four units were found to be legally operating, as many as 30 others were functioning illegally. “We had brought the matter to the government’s notice and asked it to immediately close down the illegal factories,” he said.
Now with the NGT order in the picture, he expressed hope that the administration will close down the factories operating illegally.
After hearing a petition filed by the Environment Coordination Committee (ECC) of Elaka Sutnga, the NGT had recently directed the concerned department including Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board, Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills and State Environment Impact Assessment Authority to file counter-affidavits within four weeks. In its petition filed on October 25, the ECC had alleged that the coke plants in Elaka Sutnga were polluting the environment.
