Shillong, Jan 18: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday said there is a standing order issued by the government that no illegal activity should take place in any part of the state, especially relating to illegal coal mining.
His statement comes in the wake of Leader of Opposition and All India Trinamool Congress leader Dr. Mukul Sangma accusing the state government of abating illegal coal mining, after conducting surprise inspection of a coal depot in Nongalbibra area of South Garo Hills on Monday. He alleged that the coal in the depot was freshly extracted, and that this couldn’t be happening without the knowledge of the government. To get to the root of this, he also demanded for a court-monitored independent probe.
“We have already very clearly instructed all the district administrations and all SPs and from there it goes down to the police stations and up to the block level that please check properly and illegal activities should not at all happen in the state of Meghalaya – that is the standing order issued by the highest authority of the state government,” Tynsong said.
On the demand for an independent probe, he informed that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is monitoring the illegal mining activities and there is no need to set up an independent inquiry into the matter.
“NGT is monitoring on a regular basis about the illegal mining activities. In fact the system is already in place, the NGT is already in place, SIT has already been constituted by the NGT so we don’t have a jurisdiction on that but I think the best agency would be NGT only,” the Dy CM informed.
“Therefore, I don’t know why Leader of Opposition says that you again need another body to go into this alleged mining activities that has happened in the state,” he added.
UDP’s allegation of illegal coal mining
To a query that MDA coalition partner UDP has also admitted to illegal coal mining in the state, Tynsong said, “If they say it is going on, they are also part of the government so why not they report to the appropriate authority.”
He continued, “We need to report as just saying in the press it does not serve anything. Once you have evidence or hear anything wrong over there in any particular place, I think it is good the office of the Deputy Commissioner, the office of the SP are always there to promptly respond to the allegations made by anybody from any quarters.”
Pala’s allegation of illegal check gates
On Congress chief Vincent H Pala’s allegation that checkgates are being turned into ATMs of ruling ministers and MLAs in their respective constituencies, Tynsong said he does not know about the kind of checkgates the Congress chief is talking about.
He further reminded that there is a procedure to follow to set up checkgates in the state.
“Setting up of any checkgate all along the national highways as well as in the state highways, there is a criteria where we cannot just blindly create checkgate or have a barrier here and there. We have a formality. I really do not understand what he (Pala) meant by saying that we have in every constituency that check gates and all that I cannot reply,” he said.
