Shillong, Feb 24: Khliehriat legislator and cabinet Minister Kyrmen Shylla said the auctioning of coal will help the people of East Jaintia Hills to revive back even as he mentioned about the hardship faced by the people since 2014 following the NGT ban on coal mining in the state.

“…….our people will see the light of the day because of auctioning of coal, since from 2014 after the NGT ban, the people of East Jaintia Hills experience very bad time, because we had a huge quantity of coal when it compares to Meghalaya and almost 99 percent of the people in East Jaintia Hills depends on coal directly or indirectly, so when this happens after the coal India Limited will do the auction then I think our people will start to revive back,” Shylla said.

The reaction was made in wake of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma informing that the State Government will soon start the auctioning of coal at least in the depot where the stock is available.

Expressing his happiness, the UDP legislator from Khliehriat said, “I am very happy to hear that soon auctioning of coal will start especially in East Jaintia Hills district where everyone is thrilled for this (auctioning of coal), they really want it (auctioning of coal) to happen so that much talked about the illegalities going on or illegal transportation going on will disappear and it will not come out from anyone’s mouth……”

Asked about the allegation of the illegal coal trade in East Jaintia Hills, the Minister said, “The police officers are doing their job they try to check what is going on in our district, they are trying their best so that no illegalities take place, not only coal but drugs and other crimes also police are trying to check….The crime happens unknowingly behind us… we cannot say that police are there and no crimes will happen it happens……”.