HT Digital
GUWAHATI, Mar 6: The government of Assam has identified 263 illegal rat-hole coal mines in two autonomous council districts, confiscating more than 25,630 tonnes of illegal coal in the last three years.
Mines and Minerals Minister Kaushik Rai, in a reply to a question in the assembly, said that 248 illegal mines were detected in Dima Hasao under the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) and 15 mines were detected in Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council. He also talked about coal mining in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, and Charaideo, but didn’t give specifics.
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Even after the NGT prohibited rat-hole mining in 2014, the activity goes on unabated in the Northeast. Ledo-Borgaloi is the sole coal field allowed in Assam, while others are still under ban.
Nine laborers were killed on January 6 when a rat-hole mine in Umrangso, Dima Hasao, was flooded. Their bodies were retrieved after a search operation for days. After the accident, the government established a monitoring committee under the DGP to put an end to illegal coal mining.
Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia blamed the government for shielding those responsible and called for an independent investigation into the Umrangso incident. Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar accused a BJP leader’s wife of operating an illegal mining syndicate in Dima Hasao.
The government has named Justice (Retd.) Anima Hazarika to probe the Dima Hasao tragedy, with a three-month report. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by IGP Akhilesh Singh, has also been established.
CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar and Akhil Gogoi accused organized syndicates of controlling illegal coal mining and smuggling of items such as betel nuts, fish, and cattle. Gogoi also accused that drugs and weapons are being smuggled into India through Burmese betel nut consignments.
