Exporters Allegedly Ships Out Hundreds of Tons of Illegal Coal Using E-Way Bills from Assam, FIR Filed

GUWAHATI: A small group of exporters from Assam allegedly shipped out hundreds of tons of illegal coal extracted from rat-hole mines in the region using E-Way Bills obtained from the Taxation department of the state, as recent as a month ago, leading to an FIR being lodged today, Tuesday.

The FIR lodged by John Dalton Ch Sangma of Dalu Koinadubi, a town located on the West Garo Hills border with Bangladesh, provides details about the alleged illegal operation orchestrated by three exporters from Assam who stand accused of shipping out 450 truckloads of coal claiming it to be from Assam. The FIR names Kuldeep Kumar Bansal, a coal exporter from Beltola in Guwahati, Balwan Singh, coal exporter and proprietor of M/S Maruti Fuels in Dudhnoi town of Assam, along with his business partner Dharambir Mehta, coal exporter and owner of Bittu Coal.

Using the name of M/S Maruti Fuels, the trio has been accused of exporting already extracted and dumped coal from Jadigittim and nearby areas of Nangalbibra, a coal mining area long known for illegal mines.

The exporters allegedly used the E-Way pass to ship out the coal through Gasuapara customs without the legal transit challans needed for export to a neighboring country.

On the other hand, the Meghalaya Government has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that fine-tuning to a whopping Rs 153 crore has been imposed on as many as 133 illegal stone quarries in the State.

"The total number of units against whom environmental compensation has been levied and recoveries under process are 133 in number. That a total amount of Rs 1,53,27,44,063 is payable by the legal and illegal miners…," Meghalaya Government informed NGT.

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