SHILLONG, March 3: Asserting that the NPP-led MDA government lack the will, the state Congress vehemently dismissed the government’s justification that it did not have adequate manpower on the ground to deal with coal illegalities.
The Congress recalled that the previous regime, led by the party, had neutralized militancy in the state and effectively dealt with illegal mining activities with the same police force and without any external aid.
“All illegalities will cease to exist only if the government finds the will and instructs the district administration and police to go all out against such activities,” Congress working president Deborah C Marak said on Thursday.
Home Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui had recently defended the state government saying it was trying its best to stop the illegal mining of coal and its transportation but was faced with manpower crunch. He had said the constraint was from the point of view of policing.
Marak scoffed at Rymbui’s assertion and said, “Someone must have either misled him or he is unaware of the ground reality.”
“There may be shortage of police personnel but during our tenure we had fought the underground outfits effectively. How were we were able to do it then?” she questioned.
Pointing out that she also belongs to the coal belt area, Marak said, “I travel between Williamnagar and Shillong and on the national highway you find police check points one after the other every 100-200 meters. What are they doing there on the Dainadubi-Nangalbibra route? Who are they protecting? Why so many police vehicles are seen on the national highways if there is shortage of cops?”
“In East and South Garo Hills, the district administrations have failed miserably to control illegalities. Lots of illegal coal trucks are plying at night. So when he (Rymbui) says there is shortage of cops, I do not agree,” she added.
Need for independent probe into illegal check gates
The Congress leader also urged the state government to order an independent probe into allegations of illegal check gates operating in the state.
Stating that the state government has said that it is awaiting reports from all the districts on illegal check gates before acting against them, Marak wanted to know who had issued the order and who will be collecting the report and filing it.
“If the district administration submits the report it will not be correct since they will try to protect the government,” she said, while making it clear that only an independent inquiry will be able to unearth the truth.
The Congress working president further claimed that numerous illegal check gates were operating in Garo Hills.
