SHILLONG, JAN 18: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday said the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is monitoring the illegal mining activities and there is no need for setting up of 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,” Tynsong told journalists.
“Therefore, I don’t know why the Leader of Opposition says that you need another body to go into this alleged mining activity that has happened in the state,” he added.
Tynsong was reacting to the demand of the Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma for an independent probe into the illegal coal trade after conducting a surprise inspection of the Nongalbibra area in South Garo Hills.
Sangma had alleged the coal dumped in the depots were freshly mined and that rampant illegal mining and transportation of coal is going on in the state.
The deputy chief minister however said that the state government is against illegal mining activities in the state.
“If you go back to 2014 when the NGT first imposed a ban on coal mining, from that time itself the then government and also present government, we are committed that illegal mining of coal does not happen in the state,” he said.
On Congress chief Vincent H Pala’s allegation that check gates are being turned into ATMs of ruling ministers and MLAs in their respective constituencies, Tynsong said he has nothing to say on that as does not know what kinds of check gates the party chief is talking about.
He further reminded that there is a formality to set up check gates 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 a 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,” Tynsong said.
When asked that several complaints have been filed against illegal coal trade, the deputy chief minister said, “For any crime activity that happens are you trying to say that the government is helping them.”
“(Infact), 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,” he added.
When pointed out that even the UDP has admitted that illegal coal mining is going on 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 that 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.”
Whether it is an election ploy of the UDP, Tynsong said, “I will not reply on that but what I am trying to tell you is this that we are committed to ensure that illegal activities is stopped not only in coal mining but in every sectors and every department, we want to see that illegal activities should stop.”
By Our Reporter
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