Opposition Trinamool Congress continue to finger the government over illegal rat-hole coal mining in the state and stated that it has shamelessly established flourishing businesses out of it.
During a meeting at Mahendraganj today, TMC leaders attacked the NPP-led government for continuously denying that coal mining does not exist and how coal is being transported.
Rangsakona MLA, Zenith Sangma said, “Flourishing businesses have been shamelessly established around illegal coal mining. How are they moving their trucks across the border? In 2018-20, one truck used to be dealt with for Rs. 70,000. Now, the rate for crossing the border is Rs. 1.10 lakh. It is the taxpayers’ money which is being exploited,” he stated.
He said people are losing their lives for mining coal illegally. “The misery doesn’t end here! This illegal coal is then being transported across the borders. It shameful that all this is happening under their nose and the MDA government is denying all such claims,” Zenith said.
TMC MLA, Dikkanchi D Shira raised concerns on lives lost due to illegal coal mining and said, “What has the MDA government done for the state? It is widely known that illegal coal mining is rampant in Meghalaya. Every day numerous people are losing their lives due to this. Yet the NPP-led MDA government repudiates this whenever we raise questions in the Meghalaya Assembly.”
She also rue on how the present government scuttled her dreams of building a maternity and child hospital. “I wanted to make a maternity and child hospital in this area as many infants have lost their lives. It was sanctioned five years ago but the MDA government has not initiated any work till date,” she said.
“What is more appalling is that on the floor of the Assembly we were told that the work will start soon but nothing has happened so far. The people of the state will remember all these fake assurances given by the current government and give a befitting reply via ballot paper in the coming elections.”
