The state government’s knee-jerk rejection of the idea of illegal coal mining every time the issue comes to the fore is going to hurt Meghalaya in the long run, senior Congress Party legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh said today.
“The government is completely denying the nature of the issue and this will not be healthy in the long run. It is also a complete disregard of the people who have invested in this government, the East Shillong MLA told Highland Post.
The government has hidden behind arguments that it cannot be responsible for all illegal activities and that it is willing to act when given proof of illegal acts.
According to Lyngdoh, however, there have been enough organisations from around the state that have highlighted instances of illegal coal mining and the government cannot only expect the public to be whistleblowers when the state needs to initiate legal proceedings against the criminals.
“The entire wait and watch approach of the government on this matter is wrong. If these allegations are incorrect then you (the government) will be seen in the right way but the government cannot just pay lip service and say it’s untrue,” she said. “The government will have to provide a clear defence on this matter. We have to make sure that the recommendations of all apex bodies of legal standing, like the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal, have to be adhered to because you can’t keep hiding behind the argument that mine owners are poor,” she said.
