SHILLONG, Feb 20: State BJP president, Ernest Mawrie on Sunday said the Centre has requested the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to take cognisance of the allegations of illegal mining of coal and its transportation in Meghalaya and act strongly against the activities.
He said he was informed of this by the BJP’s central leadership.
“We are waiting for the CM (Conrad K Sangma) to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue,” Mawrie said, adding the BJP has always been a forerunner in flagging any issues of illegalities.
He said the party will take up the issue of illegal coal mining with its coalition partners. “Let him (CM) convene the meeting so that we can discuss it among the coalition partners,” he said.
Earlier, civil society groups, social activists, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and some constituents of the state’s coalition government had demanded an independent probe, preferably by the CBI, into the illegal activities.
However, the government did not accede to the demand on the grounds that the NGT is monitoring the situation. It had asked those raking up the issue to come up with evidence so that it can initiate action.
The AITC recently showed photographs and played some videos before journalists to buttress its claim about illegal mining of coal and its transportation but it has not yet submitted the proof to the government.
The issue resurfaced after the recent deaths of two coal mine labourers in Shallang area of West Khasi Hills, the allegation that coal mined in Meghalaya was directly being exported to Bangladesh when it was supposed to go to a firm in Assam first, the filing of an FIR by a Nokma about coal mining in community land guarded by armed miscreants etc.