SHILLONG, Jan 16: The United Democratic Party (UDP) on Sunday said coal continues to be mined and transported illegally in the state and it cannot always turn a blind eye to the 
illegalities.
UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said the people are not blind and can clearly see what is going on.
“I have always maintained any form of illegalities cannot be tolerated and these illegalities that are continuing should be stopped forthwith,” he said.
“What kind of a state are we living in? Is it a state of lawlessness? Is there no law and order? We cannot just say that nothing is happening because a lot is happening,” he added.
Asking the state government to come clean on the recent allegations of the Constitutional Rights Forum (CRF) that illegal extraction of coal is taking place in South Garo Hills, Mawthoh said, “There may be connivance between officials and those engaged in illegal activities and that is why stringent measures have to be taken.”
The CRF had written to the chief secretary demanding inquiry to the matter and action against the commissioner of transport, director of mining and geology as well as the deputy commissioner of SGH for allegedly allowing the illegal activity.
“What will law-abiding citizens think if everything is happening under the nose of the government?” Mawthoh said.
Reminding that the issue of illegal transportation of coal has often been raised by different political parties, pressure groups and individuals, he said: “People see coal trucks plying on the highways. This is where the government has to take some stringent measures.”
“If illegalities are happening that means we are also losing out on a lot of revenue. The loopholes need to be plugged for revenue realisation,” he added.
Earlier an order allowing the export of coal from Assam to Bangladesh through Meghalaya’s Gasuapara was given to one Jaimaa Coal Private Limited of Guwahati. A similar order had also been provided by the deputy commissioner of SGH to one Maruti Fuels of Dudhnoi in Assam.
The forum said coal being transported to Bangladesh is being mined from the SGH district itself and not brought from Assam. It claimed the transported coal was being extracted from the villages of Rongding Awe, Dangsa Awe, Rongsa Awe, Gare Gittim and Are Gittim.
Regarding the challans issued by the DMR in the name of Babul Marak, the successful bidder, for the coal lying in the district in the above-mentioned villages, the forum claimed the coal is freshly dug illegally on a daily basis.
The CRF further alleged that the coal transportation was taking place with the help of government officials and politicians. The illegal transport, it said, would cause a huge loss to the state exchequer.