1,652 Illegal Coal Transportation Cases Registered in Meghalaya: CM Conrad Sangma

Conrad K Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, announced on September 15, 2022, that 1,652 cases involving the unlawful transportation of coal had been recorded in the state. 

The chief minister stated in response to a motion to draw notice in the Meghalaya Assembly that of the 1,652 cases that had been filed up till August 31, charge sheets had been filed in 1,354 of them and 472 defendants had been found guilty. 

Further the Chief Minister added that 109 cases had been filed against unlawful coal mining and extraction, of which 108 had charge sheets submitted and 103 had resulted in convictions.

The chief minister briefed the House that police are using drone monitoring to stop unlawful mining.

CM Sangma said that one Hubert Sangma secretly ran the distant coal mine that recently experienced an accident in which two miners perished and one was injured. The disaster occurred in the West Khasi Hills district.

He stated the proprietor of the coal mine had been detained and that an inquiry was ongoing. According to the advice of a committee of the National Green Tribunal, an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh was given to the surviving relatives of the deceased, while Rs 50,000 was given to the injured.