The East Jaiñtia National Council (EJNC) met the Deputy Commissioner to follow-up on a letter it has sent in April regarding the problem of allegedly illegal coal being used by cement plants.
According to the EJNC, the DC had written to the District Mineral Officer in Jowai on the issue and received a reply that because there is no weighbridge in operation, checks cannot be conducted.
In April, the EJNC had complained that cement factories are flouting restrictions on coal mined from within Meghalaya itself or flouting import rules placed on the bringing in of coal and other minerals from places like Bangladesh. Coal trucks are seen daily entering the premises of the cement factories in EJH and the pressure group claimed that these do so without valid documentation.
Earlier, there had been a check gate at Umtyra but this was closed down by the government, the EJNC said, adding that reopening the weighbridge would help curb illegalities.
