Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla said today that the government will act against those behind illegal coal mining activities if provided with proof.
“People keep talking about illegal coal activities happening in the State but I say please provide us the proof so that necessary action will be taken against the culprits,” he told Highland Post.
Shylla stated that police are doing their job by conducting patrols and checkpoints and have, on several occasions, nabbed people suspected of illegal coal-related activities.
“We don’t encourage illegal things to happen in our State because we are here to protect our state and not to encourage any illegalities,” he said, maintaining that anyone found involved in any illegal coal activity should be punished no matter who they are and no matter what political connections they may have.
Illegal coal activity benefits only a few but harms the whole of Meghalaya as it entails a loss of revenue for the State exchequer.
