Assam: Truck Carrying "Illegal Coal" meets with Accident in Margherita, Congress Demands answers from Sonowal

Margherita, May 2, 2020:

While the country is about to enter the third phase of lockdown, illegal coal mining continues to run rampant in Margherita town of Assam. This has come to light when a truck loaded with illegal coal accidentally collided with an electric pole.

According to locals, the illegal coal activities have been active even during the lockdown. The coal laden truck, bearing registration number UP 63 AT 4506, was plying one the Digboi Makum road along the National Highway-38 in the wee hours of May Day.

Several vehicles were stuck at the route in the aftermath of the accident, causing much inconvenience to the vehicle owners. It is pertinent to add here that emergency vehicles were unable to reach their destinations due to the accident till the morning hours of Saturday.

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Advocate Mausam Baruah, a local resident of Tinsukia, and General Secretary of Assam Pradesh Youth Congress Committee said that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal regularly spoke about "Zero Tolerance Corruption" but the rampant movement of illegal Coal laden trucks from Margherita Sub division is an example of the "exact opposite."

"I demand a clarification from Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and all the stated concerned authorities as to how during the ongoing lockdown period, illegal coal laden trucks could pass from Margherita," Mausam Baruah told Inside Northeast.

Baruah further alleged that coal thieves of Margherita took advantage of the lockdown and the Tinsukia District Deputy Commissioner, Tinsukia Superintendent of Police, Digboi Divisional Forest Officer, Margherita Police and Margherita Administration (Civil) are also involved in this illegal activity.

Baruah has further alleged that daily, over a hundred illegal coal laden trucks pass from Margherita town to other places of Assam.

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