Police are not doing enough to curb the transportation of illegal coal, which is costing the state exchequer dearly while enriching a few vested interests, Tura MDC Bernard N Marak said today.
An FIR was filed yesterday by one Rajen Sangma at Baghmara police station claiming that coal is loaded onto hundreds of trucks at depots at Era A’ning and Jadigittim, South Garo Hills.
Concerned that police on the ground were not doing enough on this issue, Marak decided to escalate it by referring it to the Director General of Police and Union Home Minister.
The MDC, also a senior member of the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a fierce critic of the state government, said that overloaded trucks carrying coal without proper documentation are allowed to pass freely at night on payment of Rs 1.25 lakh per truck.
None of this money goes into the coffers of the state government or the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). This goes against the directions of the Supreme Court and “is also an unjustified exploitation of the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution”, Marak said.
Police inaction has raised serious doubts and a crisis of confidence among the ordinary citizens of Meghalaya and the MDC sought for immediate action to stop illegal coal-related activities.