Guwahati, Jan 11: Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging his intervention to address the escalating issue of illegal coal mining in Assam. Gogoi has called for the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate the ongoing illegal mining activities, particularly in Dima Hasao. His appeal comes after a sit-in protest in Digboi, where local residents demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the matter.
Gogoi stressed that the crisis in Umrangso should not be considered an isolated incident, insisting that the SIT should not only investigate the illegal mining operations but also the failure to enforce the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban on rat-hole mining. He highlighted the role of local authorities, including district administration and police, in allowing these illegal activities to continue despite repeated accidents and warnings.
The Congress leader also called for the SIT to expand its investigation to cover other illegal mining sites in Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, and Upper Assam, where such activities persist unchecked. Gogoi referenced a 2021 report by Justice Bojendra Prasad Katakey, which blamed weak law enforcement, corruption, and lack of accountability for the continued illegal mining in the region.
Gogoi further pointed to the Union Government’s 2019 statement in the Lok Sabha, which acknowledged the persistence of rat-hole mining in the Reserve Forests and Proposed Reserve Forests of the Digboi Division.
The ongoing issue has led to widespread protests and opposition calls for immediate government action to address the illegal mining and bring those responsible to justice.