TURA, Feb 13: Days after the arrest of coal trader Balwant Soni alias Bhama and four others in a tax evasion case, it has now emerged that the Mining and Geology department had received verbal “orders” to not frisk coal-laden trucks or question where they originated from.
Those, who had received the orders, played safe as they ran the risk of being transferred for non-compliance, sources said, indicating the entire operation had the blessings of the powers-that-be.
Sources from the Directorate of Mineral Office said no coal-laden truck from Assam entered Meghalaya for transit to Bangladesh through the Gasuapara land custom port in South Garo Hills. Had there been any such movement, it would have been captured by the CCTV cameras installed at the Dainadubi check gate in North Garo Hills, they said.
When asked how coal was allowed to be transported this way, the Deputy Commissioner of South Garo Hills asked this correspondent to contact the Mining and Geology department. The department, however, said it was prohibited from checking the trucks or questioning the truckers where the vehicles originated from.
Bhama and the four others were arrested by the Assam police from Guwahati on February 9 based on an FIR lodged by the Assam Income Tax department. The coal trader evaded tax estimated to be around Rs 40 crore.
The illegal use of e-way bills for export also caused a huge revenue loss to Meghalaya given the extent of transportation carried out.
A large number of exporters from Assam and Meghalaya had applied for exporting coal (from Assam to Bangladesh through Garo Hills) but only Bhama’s firm was chosen.
The illegal transport of coal began in the second week of December last year and it continued until Bhama’s arrest.
The order on the transport of coal was issued by the South Garo Hills district administration after the Mining and Geology department had given its nod for transport through Meghalaya.
The modus operandi, according to a coal miner who did not wish to be named, was very simple – coal would be fist procured by the traders and exporters from near the Jadi area in South Garo Hills, sent by trucks through National Highway 62 and then offloaded at various depots of Gasuapara.
For export, the traders used e-way bills that were generated in the name of Bhama’s firm. The traders had to shell out around Rs 50,000 per truck.
The sources said the movement of coal-laden trucks from Meghalaya to Assam through Dainadubi as well as Aradonga in West Khasi Hills is also being allowed after alleged “payment” ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.3 lakh – all without valid challans.