SHILLONG: An angry mob attacked police personnel guarding the NGT check gate at Tuber Sohshrieh, East Jaintia Hills and took away coal-laden trucks to Assam even as the NGT on Friday asked the DGP to stop illegal activities.
Though the violent incident took place on May 1, the matter came to light only on Friday.
Police lodged a suo-motu complaint that on May 1 around 9.30 pm, a group of persons armed with lathis and others arrived at the NGT check point at Tuber Sohshrieh and threatened the police personnel on duty that if they do not allow their illegal coal trucks to ply towards Guwahati, they will kill them.
According to the FIR, when the police personnel on duty refused to oblige, they were attacked by the mob.
The mob took advantage of their huge number as well as incessant rain, and some trucks allegedly loaded with coal, managed to cross the check point and fled towards Guwahati, the FIR added.
Earlier on November 8 last year, the social activists Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma were attacked by pro-mining group in the same village when the duo were probing illegal coal mining.
Meanwhile. the NGT appointed judicial panel headed by Justice (retired) B P Katoki during the hearing on Friday asked the Meghalaya DGP R. Chandranathan to stop illegal mining and transportation of coal, giving a week’s deadline to prepare an action plan in this regard.
The meeting of the NGT panel was attended by the DGP and other officials.
The DGP pointed out the need to get more forces to ensure enforcement of the ban as in the past, additional forces were provided only for three months.
However, the NGT panel asked the DGP to prepare the action plan and include the requirements.
Katoki also said there is a need to make Assam government a party to the NGT case since coal is illegally transported to Assam.
“Assam government should cooperate. We will make a request in this regard to NGT. We have noticed that Meghalaya coal is used in a cement factory in Assam border”, he said.
Earlier, the NGT had asked the government to install CCTV cameras in the vulnerable locations.
The meeting on Friday also discussed afforestation of areas affected by coal mining by the forest department and Central Pollution Control Board.
The committee also assessed the water supply schemes and wanted the government to provide clean drinking water to the East Jaintia Hills residents.
The next meeting of the committee is on June 3.
The state government has already constituted a task force headed by the Deputy Commissioners in all the districts to keep a check on the illegal coal mining and transportation.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said the help of IIT will be sought to prepare a brief report on how to mechanise the entire process of collection of revenue and issuing challans to regulate the movement of trucks.
According to Sangma, the task force headed by the deputy commissioners as been asked to look into all the aspects of illegal coal mining whether it is extraction or transportation.
On the use of electronic system to regulate movement of vehicles and challans, the chief minister said the state government has taken up the matter seriously and also set up a committee.
When asked about auditing the source of coal acquired by cement plants, the chief minister said all the resources that are being taken by the power plants and all the cement plants are being done legally.
He, however, said the government is ensuring that no illegal activities take place.
