GUWAHATI: Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi alleged on Diwali that illegal coal transport had resumed in Upper Assam, with 30-40 trucks parked at three locations in the Sivasagar and Nazira constituencies.
In a social media message addressed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the DGP, Gogoi alleged that the trucks were carrying coal from Meghalaya to Tuli railway station in Nagaland through Amguri. He said the trucks had been parked between Jhanji and Hahchara for the past three days as they had not received permission for transport by rail.
Gogoi alleged that some trucks were also parked at an oil depot owned by Sanju Dutta in Teok and near the Meleng toll gate in Jorhat. He said the Jorhat superintendent of police and Teok police had not taken action against the vehicles.
He said Raijor Dal workers were monitoring the trucks. After the transporters learnt that he had received information about the vehicles, the trucks parked between Jhanji and Hahchara were moved towards Jorhat the previous night, he alleged.
Gogoi alleged that illegal coal mining in Nagaland, along with illegal stone and sand extraction along the Dikhow river, had contributed to the devastating floods in the Nazira, Sivasagar, Sonari, Mahmora, Dimow and Mariani constituencies. He said he had repeatedly sought a CBI inquiry into the floods.
He also alleged the involvement of Water Resources Minister and Dimow MLA Sushanta Borgohain, Sonari MLA Dharmeswar Konwar and Nazira MLA Mayur Borgohain in illegal mining activities.
Gogoi demanded that the trucks be seized immediately, the alleged transporters be sent to jail through court proceedings and the coal be auctioned. He alleged that failure to act would raise questions over Sarma and Finance Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah's role in the alleged coal syndicate.
