Leaders and members of the Karbi Anglong District Congress
Committee during the sit-in in Diphu on Friday.
- DIPHU — The Karbi
Anglong District Congress Committee (KADCC), as per the directive of the Assam
Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), organised a ‘Satyar Sandhanot’ in front of
the KADCC office on Friday, against “illegal” coal mining in NC Hills and Karbi
Anglong districts.
- In a circular issued on Jan. 9, APCC president, Bhupen Kumar
Borah informed that a high-level Congress team led by APCC working president
and MLA, Jakir Husasin Sikdar, had visited the place of incident at Umrangso in
Dima Hasao district, where nine miners were trapped inside a rat hole.
- After the visit, Borah directed the party units in every
district to organise ‘abosthan dharmoghat’ to protest the illegal coal mining
in Dima Hasao.
- More than a hundred Congress workers and supporters shouted
anti-slogans against the BJP government, for the alleged “free hand in allowing
illegal coal mining to take place.”
- The protestors demanded for immediate compensation to the
next of kin of victims and constitution of a CBI enquiry into the incident.
- President of KADCC, Bidyasing Rongpi, who took part in the
sit-in, said that “It has been learnt that in Umrangso of NC Hills districts of
Assam, illegal rat-hole coal mining is operating. The recent incident saw nine miners trapped
in rat-holes coal mining and out of which one was dead.”
- Rongpi also stated that rat-hole mining is not only taking
place in NC Hills but in Karbi Anglong district too, including in areas like
Klurdung, Silveta and other places.
- “Illegal coal mining should immediately be stopped by the
government to avoid human fatality. The
land and soil of Karbi Anglong has been ruined. Huge mountains have been
reduced and extensive extraction of sand and stone have polluted the water
bodies. There is no more forest and hills,” the Congress leader claimed.
- “Sand syndicate is operating.If it is allowed to go on for another 10 to
15 years unchecked, then in the coming days, water bodies will be dry up. White
stones (marble) are also illegally extracted and supplied. This should also be
stopped by KAAC,” Rongpi demanded.
