Illegal transportation and mining of coal appears to have driven a wedge between the coalition partners in the Meghalaya government.
The regional United Democratic Party (UDP) has defended the State Lokayukta’s move asking the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the illegal coal trade. The party backed the move on Wednesday when the Meghalaya High Court took up the State government’s petition against the Lokayukta.
The UDP is the second-largest party in the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, in which the BJP is a minor partner.
“Our party did not have any discussion [with the coalition partners] on the matter that the Lokayta deemed fit to take up,” said senior UDP leader Bindo M. Lanong.
The MDA government headed by Conrad K. Sangma had earlier petitioned against the Lokayukta order for a CBI probe — a move that was criticised by the Opposition Congress.
“The petition is a ploy to delay the process of investigation and protect a big cartel operating to facilitate illegal mining and transportation of coal,” said former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
The National Green Tribunal had in April 2014 banned the unsafe rat-hole coal mining in Meghalaya. Although it allowed the transportation of already extracted coal from time to time.
However, in 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the State government to stop the transportation of coal.
But activists in the State alleged that despite the ban, coal was being transported with impunity. Last week, the police caught several trucks transporting coal out of the State.
