Check coal trade by outsiders

SHILLONG, NOV 23: West Khasi hills coal miners alleged the coal mining and trade by tribal is being “controlled and monopolized” by outsiders because trade license is issued rampantly and urged the KHADC to take immediate remedial measures.

“The decade’s old occupation of coal mining and trade by the tribal are being monopolize, dominated and controlled by outsiders because trading licenses to non-locals in the previous years were issued rampantly without proper verification of documents by the KHADC,” they said.

The coal miners under banner of the Meghalaya Mine Owner and Exporter’s Association (MMOEA) decided to seek the intervention of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and urge it to put restriction on the issuing of the license for trade of coal.

“We demand the district council to redress the issue pertaining to the trade on coal business of both the domestic supply within the country as well as exporting to the neigbouring country by restricting issuing of trading license to non-locals, firms or companies without proper verification and authentication of documents,” MMOEA president Julius Ceasar Diengngan said in a petition to KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum recently.

Diengngan said the plights of the people who depends on coal is bad because if penetration of people from outside as commission agents, benami transaction in coal business, operating without valid documents.  He said, “This has resulted in undermining the culture, identity of the tribal people’s right as a mean for survival guaranteed under the Constitution of India.”

Diengngan said also said that they urged the council to strictly prohibit benami transaction as there are many people operating coal businesses in the name of locals which violates the laws of the land as they also evade paying of taxes.

The MMOEA requested the KHADC to issue notification for compulsory renewal of  trading license by non-tribals engaged in coal export business.

Diengngan also informed that the ban on mining of coal by NGT has severely being affected the region since April this year. According to him, unlike other rich and industrial areas of the country, majority of the people survives because of coal business.- By Our Reporter