SHILLONG, June 15: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Sunday criticised the state government for its “laidback and denial attitude” on the issue of illegal mining of coal and its transportation, despite mounting evidence and repeated recommendations from a court-appointed committee.
In its 30th interim report submitted to the High Court of Meghalaya recently, the Justice (Retd) BP Katakey-headed one-man committee expressed concern over the delay by the government in initiating action under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, in respect of 1,96,800.78 metric tonnes of illegally mined coal detected through aerial surveys which were conducted by M/S Garuda and MBDA.
VPP’s Shillong MP Ricky AJ Syngkon said the findings were not new, stating that this pattern of discovery followed by inaction has persisted for too long. “This has been going on, yet accountability from the state government and actions have always been felt wanting,” he said.
Noting that Justice Katakey’s reports are based on “thorough research and verification,” he said the government can no longer hide behind technicalities. “The government lies but the cat is out of the bag,” Syngkon said.
He reminded that he had recently raised the matter in Parliament and assured that he would continue to pursue the issue and speak out against illegal activities.
On the matter of scientific mining, Syngkon said while some leases have been issued, it remains critical to ensure that mining practices on the ground follow proper guidelines and protocols.
Justice Katakey’s 30th interim report had cautioned that unless urgent action is taken under the MMDR Act regarding the 1,96,800.78 MT of illegal coal, there is a risk of pilferage and transportation from the locations identified in the aerial survey, which could make enforcement even more difficult.
The committee, in its 28th interim report, had recorded the presence of 1,92,840.13 MT of illegally mined coal across East Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills, South Garo Hills and South West Khasi Hills.
