SHILLONG, Jan 15: Backing the demand of the Constitutional Rights Forum (CRF) for an inquiry into the illegal extraction of coal in South Garo Hills allegedly in the know of the district administration, RTI activist Agnes Kharshiing said it is a clear violation of the orders
of the National Green Tribunal.
“I agree with them (forum) fully on the illegal coal mining and the chief secretary, as the guardian of the government should take strong action immediately,” Kharshiing, also the president of Civil Society Women’s Organisation said on Saturday.
She said the orders of the Supreme Court and the NGT are violated openly in the form of illegal rat-hole coal mining, boulder extraction and by the coke and cement plants.
“It is a shame that the government lied for years to the SC about more than 32 lakh tonnes of extracted coal, which was just a cover to allow the illegal transportation,” she added.
According to the CRF, coal being transported into Bangladesh is not being brought from outside the state but was being mined from the district of South Garo Hills itself.
It claimed that the transported coal had been extracted from the villages of Rongding Awe, Dangsa Awe, Rongsa Awe, Gare Gittim and Are Gittim.
The CRF further alleged that the entire coal transport was taking place with the collusion of government officials and politicians.
The illegal transport, they asserted, would cause a huge loss to the state exchequer.
The forum in a complaint to the chief secretary demanded a spot inquiry to verify the information and take action against the colluding officers.