ADP Demands Probe into Illegal Coal Mining in Arunachal

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itanagar: The Arunachal Democratic Party (ADP) has demanded the state government to constitute an enquiry committee to probe the alleged illegal coal mining activities in Changlang district of the northeastern state.

ADP general secretary Kipa Natung informed reporters that the Namchik Namphuk coal field in the district, one of the key sources to earn revenue for the state, is under threat due to illegal mining.

The extraction of coal was suspended by the Supreme Court of India in 2012 and the apex court declared 204 coal blocks allocated from 1993 to 2011 as illegal and arbitrary. However, despite the SC ruling, illegal coal mining is being continuously carried out within the Namchik Namphuk coal mine, he added.

Stating that the Changlang district administration has constituted an Anti Rat-Hole Mining Oversight Committee, to check the illegal mining at different sub-divisions, but the committee has submitted a false report to the district administration, stating that there are no illegal activities in the region, the ADP leader claimed.

When a leader of the party met the Director (Mining) Tasar Talar recently, he also denied any illegal coal mining activity, Natung said.

“But when we visited the site we found illegal coal mining activities are still going on. In this regard, we have written to the state chief secretary last month and are waiting for government response,” he said.

“It is crystal clear from the above evidences that committee has submitted a false report under the influence of corruption and they are directly or indirectly involved in the illegal activities,” Natung claimed, informing that a complaint has already been lodged with the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) to initiate action against the Sub-Divisional Officer Mining, Range Forest Officer, Officer in-Charge and Assistant Mineral Development Officer under Kharsang sub-division in the district.

While noting that a defaulter has no caste and clan, the ADP demanded that they should be booked under appropriate provisions of law, and the state government to take action as per Central Civil Services Rules, 1965, for negligence of their duties and submitting wrong reports to the higher authorities.

The regional party further demanded the government to look into the alleged encroachment of land at the Arunachal Horticultural Processing Industries Limited at Nigmoi, in West Siang district of the state.

Also Read: Meghalaya High Court Receives Interim Report on Illegal Coal Mining Cases

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