Officers in coal belts functioning under duress: Mukul Sangma

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Former Meghalaya Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition MukulSangma tirade against the State government has become more glaring when he outrightly accused the officers in the coal belts of functioning under duress.

Taking cue from where he left in trying to find out the actual illegal extraction of coal in the State, Mukul Sangma said, "The huge inventory disclosed is being done because the it is being done by the officers under pressure."

Doubting the piles of coal in the lots around Shangpung area, the leader of the Opposition said that it is clear that there is fresh extracted coal in the depots which the officials have not actually accepted. "Look at those stored in the depot, all are fresh and the huge quantity doesn't tally with the RTI procured," Sangma stated even as he advised the officials to restrain from giving wrong information on issues related to illegal mining in East and West Jaintia Hills.

Mukul Sangma used harsh words that the officials under duress is a show of the 'distasteful power play by some elements'. Asked on this, the leader of the opposition refused to substantiate except for saying that they are the people in power who are indulging in criminal conspiracy. Mukul Sangma had gone for a long day tour to the coal mine belts of East and West Khasi Hills to get a first hand information of the alleged coal extracts in spite of the NGT ban. His observation is that illegal coal mining continues with officials being under pressure to act with the will of the powerful lots.

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