Cop claims politicos disrupt seizures
JOWAI: Police personnel in East Jaintia Hills seized three coal laden trucks which were running in violation of the prohibitory orders issued by the district magistrate recently in the wake of the NGT ban on coal mining in the State.
“We have seized the trucks and a case has been registered against the owners under section 188 CrPC,” EJH SP, MK Dkhar said.
Sources informed that truck owners and coal mines owners are in a good understanding with almost all cement companies in East Jaintia Hills and illegally supply coal to the cement plants. “In the wake of the ban, the coal now is mostly supplied at night,” sources added.
What is more shocking is a police officer’s claim that the cops are threatened by local politicians to let go the seized trucks.
“We knew that hundreds of trucks were illegally supplying coal to cement plants in Narpuh Elaka, but whenever we detain and seize any of them, politicians threaten to transfer us to some remote part of Garo Hills,” a police officer from EJH claimed.
The NGT banned rat-hole mining of coal in the State after the Assam-based All Dimasa Students’ Union and Dima Hasao District Committee filed a petition before it, stating that the acidic discharge from unscientific coal mines of Meghalaya was polluting the Kopili river downstream.
