From Meghalaya to Barak Valley: Illegal transportation of coal continues unabated
SILCHAR | AUG 10, 2020:
The back-to-back seizures of coal-laden lorries in Assam's Cachar district, for ferrying the mineral without proper documents in the past four days, have once again pushed the issue of illegal coal transport in the valley to the fore.
Three coal-laden lorries, which came from Meghalaya, were seized by police in Cachar district between Thursday to Sunday. The latest seizure was on Sunday evening, August 9.
Complaints about illegal transportation of coal from Meghalaya to Barak Valley have poured in from various quarters and stories published in newspapers from time to time in the past few years. The issue, however, apparently lost attention every time.
Kalain police outpost's in-charge Amal Paul told TNT – The Northeast Today on Monday, August 10, that based on a tip-off, police conducted an operation on Sunday evening and stopped the lorry bearing registration number AS-11 BC-2145 at Kalain, around 40 km from Silchar town.
The driver showed a challan which mentioned that the truck was ferrying cement. However, when police searched the vehicle, they found coal along with cement inside it. The driver, Moinul Hussain was held and grilled thoroughly to find out more details, he said.
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A police source said two coal-laden trucks were detained on Thursday and Friday. The lorries are under police custody. No one could be arrested in the two operations, the source said.
Meanwhile, a resident of Katigorah, who wished anonymity, said illegal transportation of coal from Meghalaya to Barak Valley was stopped for a few days in the recent past, but slowly it started again.
"Lorries loaded with coal are coming to the valley from Meghalaya every night. The number of lorries is lesser in comparison to earlier," said the resident.
Katigorah constituency is the gateway to Barak Valley from Meghalaya.
Sharing his reaction, Gauhati High Court advocate and a former BJP member, Pradip Dutta Roy alleged that a BJP leader of Cachar district is one of the kingpins of the illegal coal scam in Barak Valley.
A powerful BJP leader of Brahmaputra Valley is also involved in the trade, which has been an "open secret" over the years. "Many prominent faces will be unmasked if a thorough investigation is carried out into the coal scam in the valley," Roy said.
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Roy, who has raised the issue of illegal coal transportation from Meghalaya to Barak Valley many times at news conferences in the past, reiterated that the illegal transportation of coal from the neighbouring state of Meghalaya to this valley is going on unabated despite various measures by the government to prevent it.
Karimganj Congress legislator, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha said that he had raised the coal scam's issue several times in the Assembly, but the government never took stringent measures to curb the crime.
He demanded that a thorough and impartial probe be conducted and all those involved with the clandestine business be arrested.
It may be mentioned that the Meghalaya Lokayukta had in January 2020 ordered a CBI inquiry into the alleged illegal transport of coal, betelnuts, and boulders in the state (Meghalaya).
The Lokayukta had issued the order based on a complaint by one Abhijit Basumatary against the Superintendent of Police, Khliehriat (East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya), and a few others.
The Assam government had, in 2018, recommended a CBI investigation into the multicrore-rupee coal scam in Barak Valley.
The Centre routed the case to the CBI in February 2020 and a probe was launched. It's the latest status, however, has not been made public yet.
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