Assam: Public Accounts Committee visits Margherita co-district for review of coal mining activities

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Assam Legislative Assembly, comprising MLAs from various political parties, visited Margherita Co-District on Saturday to assess ongoing issues, including illegal coal mining.

The team’s agenda included site visits to locations like Namdang, Tikok East Mine, Ledo Deep Mining, Margherita Makum Pani, Tirap Reserve Forest, Borgolai, and Mulung Hills, known for suspected illegal coal mining activities. However, due to unforeseen technical challenges, the committee could not visit these areas.

Despite the setback, the PAC conducted meetings at the Margherita Block Development Office to discuss concerns with local authorities.

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The committee also interacted with key stakeholders, including the Divisional Forest Officer of the Digboi Forest Division, officials from North Eastern Coalfields Coal India Limited (Margherita), and the Margherita Co-District Commissioner.

The PAC team is composed of MLAs Utpal Bora, Chakradhar Gogoi, Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Bhabendranath Bharali, Debabrata Saikia, Hafiz Basir Ahmed, Karimuddin Borbhuyan, and Nurul Huda. Their visit underscores the legislative body’s commitment to addressing illegal coal mining and environmental concerns in the region.

Further action and a detailed report are expected following their discussions and subsequent field inspections.