NGT monitoring illegal mining in Meghalaya

Newmai News Network
Shillong, Jan 18: Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today said the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is monitoring the illegal mining activities and there is no need for setting up an independent inquiry into the matter.
 "NGT is monitoring on a regular basis about the illegal mining activities. In fact, the system is already in place, the NGT is already in place, SIT has already been constituted by the NGT so we don't have jurisdiction on that but I think the best agency would be NGT only," Tynsong told journalists.
 "Therefore, I don't know why the Leader of Opposition says that you need again another body to go into this alleged mining activities that have happened in the state," he added.
 Tynsong was reacting to the demand of the Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma for an independent probe into the illegal coal trade after conducting a surprise inspection to the Nongalbibra area in South Garo Hills.
 Sangma had alleged the coal dumped in the depots were freshly mined and that rampant illegal mining and transportation of coal is going on in the state.
 The deputy chief minister however said that the state government is against illegal mining activities in the state.
 "If you go back to 2014 when the NGT first imposed a ban on coal mining, from that time itself the then government and also present government, we are committed that illegal mining of coal does not happen in the state," he said.