Meghalaya government had prepared a “blueprint” for the deployment of 160 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to check the illegal mining and transportation of coal. The High Court of Meghalaya last month stated that it appears to be fair and reasonable to this Court to deploy 10 companies, not of CRPF but of Central Industrial Security Force.
An official in the state government who does not want to be named said that Meghalaya CM Conrad K. Sangma has written to the Central government, requesting deployment of 10 companies of CAPF to check illegal mining and transportation of coal in the state.
The Meghalaya High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee on April 12 had directed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to deploy 10 companies of CAPF (around 900 personnel) to check the illegal mining and transportation of coal in the mountainous state.
The High Court order had said that the CAPF should be commended independently or jointly by officers from the state police that may be selected by the court, strictly for the purpose of keeping vigilance on the roads and curbing the transportation of illegally mined coal in the state.
“The real intention of this court was for the local police not to be associated in the process since it had been ineffective in this regard, the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) may be the appropriate force,” the High Court order said.
Illegal coal mining is one of the main issues in the assembly polls of Meghalaya. BJP in its manifesto for 2023 assembly polls stated that it will constitute a Task Force to check illegal mining in the state. BJP promised to ensure the scientific mining of coal.Coal mining has stalled in several places in Meghalaya following the Court’s order.
Many workers got trapped in the illegal and unsafe mines and subsequently died — five last year, but only three bodies were retrieved from the flooded coal mine after hectic efforts for over 27 days in East Jaintia Hills district.
In December 2018, 15 miners died inside an abandoned coal mine.
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