Shillong, June 1: Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister, Dr. Mukul Sangma on Tuesday demanded for an immediate independent inquiry to investigate the instances of illegal coal mining following a fresh tragedy in a coal mine in East Jaintia Hills that has led to the missing of five miners.
“There must be immediate independent inquiry to go into the details of these illegalities going on in the state, especially for each district,” he told reporters on Tuesday while clarifying that they want independent inquiry conducted for each district separately such as Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills regions, instead of one inquiry looking at the issue across the whole State.
His statement comes in the wake of five labourers missing in a coal mine in East Jaintia Hills after a dynamite explosion led to the collapse of mine on Sunday (May 30, 2021).
Sangma made the demand at the sidelines of an inspection by the team of Congress MLAs to the various corona care centres and hospitals in West Jaintia Hills district.
He also stressed that the opposition will ensure that the inquiries take place. “We will see that it happens, we will see that there is independent inquiry in respect of the illegal coal mining and all those who are perpetrators of this crime do not go scot free,” he said.
At the same time, he also expressed his sadness on the loss of the precious lives in the mining incident.
‘Stop illegal mining’
Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA, Dr. Mukul Sangma said the opposition has on a number of occasions tried to urge the government to crack a whip and stop all illegal mining.
“Unfortunately, they have always been in denial mode whether it is inside the House or outside the House, we have raised this issue. Yesterday’s report clearly indicates that illegal coal mining is still going on,” he said.
Stating that there are many illegal activities which are an offshoot of illegal coal mining, he said these include illegal transportation, illegal sale, illegal transaction (which) in the process vitiating the environment and affecting the society and the state.
He said this doesn’t augur well for the government and for the people of the state, as he underscored “so we must put an end to this”.
