The Meghalaya State Government has dismissed all charges of TMC leader and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on rampant illegal coal mining. Briefing media persons, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said the government can’t be held responsible for all crimes in the state.
Tynsong added that instructions have been given to all Deputy Commissioners and SPs to crackdown on illegal coal mining and that it was inappropriate for anyone to say that the Government was hand in gloves with the miners.
The deputy chief minister’s statement comes a day after former chief minister and TMC leader Mukul Sangma made a visit to a coalfield in Garo Hills and slammed the government for alleged inaction.
Prestone Tynsong said that the SIT constituted by the NGT is probing the matter and maintained that the state government has no jurisdiction over it. Tynsong wondered as to why the Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma wants to probe the matter by a different agency, while clearly stating that the NGT is following the probe into the alleged coal mining issue on a regular basis.
Rajya Sabha MP and Meghalaya NPP president WR Kharlukhi also reacted to Mukul Sangma’s allegations. He said that one cannot just blame and accuse the government while he said that police are also on the job to check illegal coal mining. However, Kharlukhi said that every party can raise issues of the state and it depends upon the government as to how it reciprocates.
TMC leader Mukul Sangma had paid a surprise visit to Nongalbibra area on January 18 following reports of illegal mining and transportation of coal. Sangma said that fresh coal extracted from nearby areas are found dumped all over, ready for transportation. The former CM had also asked for an S.I.T inquiry to probe the serious irregularities into mining of coal in Meghalaya.
The review meeting was attended by Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura.
In total, around 1,200-1,400 houses primarily belonging to Bengali-speaking Muslims, were demolished during the eviction…