Social activist from South Garo Hills district, Greneth Sangma, today filed a FIR at the Baghmara PS against the illegal transport of coal within the district.
The latest FIR comes in the wake of at least two more that were submitted earlier at Gasuapara after some shady businessmen tried to show the coal being brought from within the state of Meghalaya as that of Assam, for export to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Interestingly, as has been confirmed by the police department, export activities from India have been stopped due to the COVID situation despite which coal trucks have been moving through the district towards the export hub. Further no clear information has been relayed on the outcome of the two FIRs filed earlier on the matter of illegal coal transport.
Sources said coal is being transported from the Nongalbibra area while being shown to have come from Dudhnoi in Assam. DMR sources in North Garo Hills district, through where the coal was apparently transported, have confirmed that no trucks have come from Assam with loaded coal, putting the entire operation in very shady territory.
The coal in question does not have any legal documents for transport as the state DMR confirmed that no order allowing for transport of coal has been given since the month of Jan 2021.
Greneth in his FIR has objected to the movement of coal trucks during the time of COVID when the entire state is under 144 CRPC, allowing movement of only vehicles on essential duty.
“Thousands of trucks are plying every day through South Garo Hills despite the curfew on movement of vehicles and non essential activities strictly prohibited. We have been witnessing this despite the restrictions,” he said.
The FIR also mentioned the apparent people behind the illegal movement of trucks of coal.
“These trucks transporting coal from Nongal bibra via Gasuapara exit point belong to Kuldeep Bansal, Balwan Singh, coal exporter (M/s Maruti point Dudhnoi, Assam) and his partner Dharamvir Mehta, proprietor of Bitu Coal,” said the FIR while accusing them of not adhering to COVID protocols.
He added that there was no order allowing for the transport of coal from Nongalbibra but the trucks were plying without proper permission.
“They don’t have proper challans from competent authorities and the entire thing is illegal in nature and as such the FIR is being filed to bring them to book and for acting on the matter,” added Greneth.
A source, who did not want to be identified said that export was still taking place despite what authorities were saying and with the active support of influential people in the government.
“How are these coal trucks stranded when they are all illegal? Has the government and the administration decided to allow the trucks to run against laws? We can’t believe what is happening and this is nothing short of “gundagardi’,” said the source.
