Shillong, Mar 3: Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Working President Deborah Marak on Thursday slammed Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui for claiming that there is shortage of police personnel to deal with illegal activities, especially in the case of illegal mining and transporting of coal.

Marak said during the regime of the Congress govt, they had sufficient police force strength to fight against militancy, and there cannot be sudden lack of personnel.

At the same time, she claimed that govt has deployed police personnel in ‘good strength’ on the National Highway, which could be the reason that the force is stretched thin for other jobs. “I’ve seen in the Dainadubi National Highway stretch… every after 100-200 meters there are police vehicles and personnel on standby… I wonder what are they doing there and whom are they protecting?” Marak said.

She also mentioned that she comes from a coal belt area and she has seen coal trucks plying at night. “I am also from a coal belt area and every time I keep travelling from Shillong to Williamnagar at night and see trucks plying at night,” added the former Williamnagar MLA.

Further, she also criticized the district administrations of East and South Garo Hills for allowing the coal laden trucks to ply.