The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has pleaded with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to put a halt to the transportation of illegally mined coal within Meghalaya, a practice that, it says, has the widespread support of politicians and civil servants at all levels.
In a letter to the PM’s office through Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik, HITO called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the illegal coal business controlled by “Meghalaya coal mafias which are well connected and have supposedly compromised all authorities, including the Meghalaya and Assam police.”
Despite rat-hole mining being banned since 2014, HITO said that “thousands of tons” of coal have been transported illegally from the state. This has been done because there has been no progress in exempting Meghalaya from the Coal Mines Nationalization Act 1973 and Forest Conservation Act 1980, HITO said, which should have happened because it conflicts with the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement signed between India and the 25 Khasi states that saw the latter join independent India.
The illegal transportation has cost the exchequer hundreds of crores of rupees, the pressure group went on, and the practice has been conducted “in full public view”, evidenced by the number of coal trucks that have met with accidents on Meghalaya roads over the years.
To back up its claims, HITO listed several incidents, which, it said, were further evidence of the law enforcing authorities’ indifference or collusion with those carrying out illegal mining.
These incidents include the 2015 death of a police Sub-Inspector at Patharkhmah, PJ Marbaniang; the murder of Jaiñtia Youth Federation president and Right to Information (RTI) activist Poipynhun Majaw in 2018; the brazen attack on rights activists Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma in 2018; the death of several miners in illegal coal mines since 2014.
Furthermore, HITO said that the state government has sought to challenge attempts by the Meghalaya Lokayukta to initiate CBI inquiries into illegal transportation of coal, as well as other materials.
The pressure group also brought the PM’s notice to the circulation of a list of those receiving payoffs from the coal mafia, which names MLAs, top police officials, NGOs, including HITO (“illegally included,” HITO said) and the media. Supposedly, the illegal payoffs total Rs 96,000 per coal truck, which, HITO said, finds its way to those at the top all the way down to constables in the police force.
The letter was signed by HITO president Donbok Dkhar and legal secretary Shaniah S Nongrum.
