Congress writes to PM seeking intervention to halt illegal coal mining, demands SIT probe
Gaurav Gogoi stressed that the SIT should probe 'who enabled these illegal activities to persist despite repeated accidents & warnings';
A file image of Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi. (Photo: @GauravGogoiAsm/X)
Guwahati, Jan 11: Following a sit-in protest in Digboi demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into illegal coal mining in Dima Hasao yesterday, Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi has called for the Prime Minister's intervention in the matter.
Refusing to treat the coal mine crisis in Umrangso as an isolated incident, the Congressman has written to the Prime Minister, urging immediate action and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the issue.
"The SIT should not only investigate the illegal mining operations and identify those responsible for this tragedy but must also address the broader issues at play, including the failure to enforce the NGT's ban on rat-hole mining," the letter read.
Raising concerns about the complicity of local authorities, including the district administration and police, Gogoi stressed that the SIT should probe “who enabled these illegal activities to persist despite repeated accidents and warnings”.
"The investigation should also expand its scope to identify and map out other illegal mining sites across Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, and Upper Assam, where such activities have continued unabated," the letter further added.
Citing the findings of the 2021 one-man judicial commission led by Justice Bojendra Prasad Katakey, the Jorhat MP said that illegal mining continues to “flourish” in these regions due to a combination of weak law enforcement, corruption, and a lack of accountability.
“The Union Government has also acknowledged the continued existence of rat-hole mining in the Reserve Forests (RFs) and Proposed Reserve Forests (PRFs) of the Digboi Division, as revealed by data shared in Lok Sabha in 2019," the letter added.
In light of the ongoing Umrangso coal mine crisis, the Opposition, including the Congress, has expressed deep concern.
A sit-in protest was organized in Digboi on Friday, with protesters holding placards condemning the illegal coal mining activities in the state and the ruling BJP government.
The demonstrators raised slogans against the BJP government and called for swift action to bring those responsible for illegal mining to justice.
