Youth Congress for CCTV surveillance to check coal syndicate in Silchar

Special Correspondent

Silchar: The spectre of coal syndicate and other clandestine business in Cachar has come to hit the headlines of the media and various intriguing questions are being raised about it in political and concerned circles. This has in fact come as a fodder for the opposition parties. Congress in particular has been vociferous in demanding thorough inquiry into the whole shady deal. Even, Dilip Kumar Paul MLA of the ruling party has been so perplexed that he went to the extent of exposing the issue before the media, questioning the role of political leaders, administrative officials and the police.

Superintendent of Police, Rakesh Roushan, provoked by the insinuation against police hinted at initiating legal action against anyone who would raise the accusing finger at his force. Even the intervention by the Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal to rein in the ever growing shady business failed to yield any positive result. The result is that the syndicate is expanding its wing day by day. The Youth Congress has now come on the front to hit out at the forces which are behind the pampering of the syndicate. In a memorandum addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar on Tuesday, Cachar district committee of Youth Congress pointed out the experiences of its members when they went to Malidahar, the entry point to Meghalaya, on October 21 last.

In their attempt to restrain the illegal coal business after receiving reliable source and on giving proper information to the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police, they faced resistance from some miscreants operating under the shadow of coal syndicate and the police. They were heckled and harassed physically and a canard was spread by the said miscreants that we went there to collect commission. Youth Congress described it as a ‘tissue of lies’. A miscreant was heard saying due to the presence of Youth Congress members, he suffered a loss of Rs.15 lakh. This was video recorded and the Youth Congress is ready to make it public if called for to do so.

The miscreant in question who makes a business of Rs.15 lakh each night at Malidahar needs to be taken into custody and interrogated to unravel the entire modus operandi of the coal business. As the fangs of syndicate are expanding day by day and the state is losing revenue in crores of rupees, Youth Congress has demanded CBI inquiry into it. The illegal business is also causing severe damage to ecological balance since it is also leading to illegal mining of coal. The recent disaster at a mine in which 15 labourers have been trapped is an indication of it. Besides, the Youth Congress has also demanded installation of LCD screen along with CCTV camera for the recording of the events at Malidahar. If no corrective measures are taken, Javed Aktar Laskar, president, Youth Congress, Cachar district, has threatened to go for agitation.

Also Read: Coal syndicate case: Five accused in jail