Shillong, Oct 1: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has accused the Superintendent of Police of East Jaintia Hills of evading one of the party’s MLAs over the matter of illegal coal in the district.
Mawlai MLA Brightstarwell Marbaniang told reporters that villagers of Lum Bangla had complained to the authorities that illegal mining of coal was taking place but the legislator claimed that their complaint was taken lightly.
Marbaniang said that after no action was taken on the complaint the villagers turned to the VPP to resolve the matter. Members of the party’s youth wing verified the allegation and the VPP then informed the SP, Vikash Kumar, who reportedly assured that action would be taken.
“It ended at that, while the illegal mining is still continuing,” Marbaniang said, adding that he went to Lum Bangla in person on September 27 and saw with his own eyes the “illegal” coal being loaded onto dumper trucks.
Marbaniang said that he immediately rang up the SP to inform him about this. However, the district police chief reportedly told him that he had sent his officers but did not find any illegal coal mining. “I told him, how can you say this when I am on the spot and saw it with my own eyes,” Marbaniang said.
Kumar was unable to visit the spot himself on that day as he was in Shillong for a conference. However, other police officers did inspect the site.
Incidentally, as per the daily crime incident report on the Meghalaya Police website of September 30, it was pointed out that on September 27 at around 4:50 pm, police received information regarding illegal coal mining and dumping in the forest area (Krem Langshait Forest) under Lum Bangla village. Later, police found coal dumped in two places.
The matter has not ended, with Marbaniang accusing the SP of making an appointment to meet the MLA today and then evading it.
The VPP lawmaker said that he waited for three hours for Kumar and when he tried to call the police officer he did not respond.
“The action of the SP is unpleasant, especially towards a legislator who is trying to take up issues affecting the public,” Marbaniang said.
The VPP plans to initiate steps against the East Jaintia Hills SP. When asked whether the police officer could not meet him since it is a holiday due to Durga Puja, Marbaniang said that Kumar had specifically asked him to come on Wednesday.
