Outraged Over Illegal Coal Mining in Assam: Tinsukia Rights Council Urgently Demands Justice
L. Ratan Singh, the General Secretary of the International Human Rights Council’s Tinsukia District Committee, has brought to light the persistent problem of illegal coal mining in Assam. A total of 533 cases have been registered from 2003 to 2021 across various police stations in districts such as Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Nagaon, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Hailakandi, Golaghat, and Guwahati. Singh criticized the failure of the police to file suo moto cases, a fact corroborated by a report from Assam Police IGP (Law and Order), BP Kataki, submitted to the Judicial Inquiry Commission on February 21, 2021.
Singh suggests that this lack of initiative from law enforcement signals the involvement of government and administrative bodies complicit in allowing illegal coal mining, irrespective of political leadership. He also expressed frustration over the stagnation in addressing the 533 registered cases, pointing out the administration’s negligence in responding to recent complaints, including one involving Kanika Hojai, the wife of Debolal Garlosa.
Calling for urgent and comprehensive action, Singh urged the Margherita Co-District administration, NEC CIL Coal India Margherita, the Forest Department, and Assam Police to clamp down on illegal mining activities, especially in sensitive regions like Dehing Patkai National Park and the 83 Number Margherita constituency. He emphasized that merely closing a few sites is inadequate.
Singh warned that if substantial measures are not undertaken promptly, the Council is prepared to escalate the issue to the President of India and the United Nations, providing a detailed list of illegal mining sites and those implicated. The situation demands not only immediate attention but also sustained efforts to curb illegal activities threatening Assam’s environmental heritage.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/assam-illegal-coal-mining-persists-across-state-tinsukia-rights-council-demands-action-1157050-2025-01-19?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2025-01-19 15:59:00
