SHILLONG, Aug 27: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) seems to be relentless with its onslaught on the MDA government with one of its MLAs Dikkanchi D Shira, on Saturday, cornered the government on two fronts — illegal mining and transportation of coal and women’s welfare in the state.
Addressing a huge crowd in Mahendraganj, which is her constituency, Shira questioned, “What has the MDA Government done for the state? It is widely known that illegal coal mining is rampant in Meghalaya. Every day numerous people are losing their lives due to this.
Yet the NPP-led MDA repudiates this whenever we raise questions in the Assembly.”
Stating that she wanted to make a maternity and child hospital in the area as many infants have lost their lives, she said, “It was sanctioned five years ago but the MDA Government has not initiated any work till date. What’s more appalling is that on the floor of the Assembly we were told that the work will start soon but nothing has happened so far”.
“The people of the state will remember all these fake assurances given by the current government and give a befitting reply via ballot paper in the coming elections,” she added.
While the state government has asserted that it is doing what it can to curb illegal coal mining and transportation, instances of coal-related illegalities have been resurfacing time and again.
Meanwhile, TMC MLA from Rangsakona Zenith Sangma said, “Flourishing businesses have been shamelessly established around illegal coal mining. How are they moving their trucks across the border? 2018-20, one truck used to be dealt with for Rs 70,000. Now, the rate for crossing the border is Rs 1.10 lakh. It is the taxpayers’ money which is being exploited.”
He added, “People are losing their lives mining coal illegally. And the misery doesn’t end here! This illegal coal is then being transported across the borders. Its shameful that all this is happening under their nose and the MDA government is denying all such claims.”
