Shillong, Jan 17: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Saturday said that the state government is “absolutely not in denial mode” that illegal coal mining is not there in the state.
“We are acting tough (against offenders). But one must understand the history of why this is happening. We are being firm and taking action against those involved in illegal activities,” the Chief Minister said.
He reiterated that the state had a history of rat hole mining and a court order ruling that such practice should be stopped suddenly affected livelihoods.
“All we are saying is, if you are snatching away livelihood, it is not easy for anybody to tell the person you can’t do it (again),” Sangma said.
The Chief Minister stated that such an affected individual will be thinking of how to take care of his family.
“Entire generations were doing it for 200 years,” he added.
Urging to understand the background of the things that are happening, Sangma said that the government’s duty is to implement the law.
“While we are doing that, we realized there is limited manpower since such (illegal) activities are happening in all corners of the state,” Sangma added.
He reminded that the government has filed thousand of cases against people and arrests made, those involved in illegal coal mining.
“Cases have been chargesheeted, many put behind bars and illegal mines have been closed,” Sangma said.
He said that the dependency of people on this sector for hundreds of years is not the simplest thing to expect individuals to stop mining immediately due to a court order.
“They will risk themselves being arrested, they will risk the dangers,” even as he said that people should not put themselves in danger.
The Chief Minister admitted that after the coal mining ban, the government is facing challenges and the process has been complicated, but, he said that the government passed through that phase where arrests were made, mines closed and fines imposed.
Sangma hoped that the worst is behind the state but added that certain challenges will be there in the future.
“But because of the scientific mining in place now Meghalaya is in a transitional phase,” the Chief Minister said.
