The Meghalaya unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has renewed its demand for an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into what the party describes as a large-scale illegal coal trade operating in different parts of the state. The party said that despite repeated complaints, the state government has failed to take any visible action on the matter and the illegal movement of coal continues almost openly.
State BJP vice-president and Tura MDC Bernard Marak, who heads the party’s committee that is studying alleged illegal mining and transportation of coal, said the committee has already handed its first report to central authorities. A second and more detailed report is being worked on and will be sent soon. According to him, the illegal trade is continuing even though strict regulations are supposed to be in place.
Marak said that the initial inquiry carried out in the Garo Hills region has revealed information about payments being made to different people for allowing trucks to move without proper challans. According to what the committee claims to have discovered, police personnel allegedly receive around ₹4,000 per truck, deputy commissioners get about ₹1,000 per truck, and some MLAs are paid around ₹2,800 per truck. He said this was based on information collected from the ground and from people familiar with the movement of trucks. 
He said that many days, around 60 coal trucks are seen passing through the routes, but challans are issued for only two. According to the BJP, the gap between the numbers suggests that most of the trucks may be moving without proper documents. He said this also points towards a loss of revenue for the state and for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Marak said that the committee has been trying to visit the quarries and gather information about where the coal is being extracted, which roads are being used, and who is involved in the transportation. He said that the committee wants to bring proof that cannot be dismissed and that is the reason the party is taking time to collect information directly from the locations.
He also argued that whenever the issue is raised in public, the state government does not respond properly. According to him, everyone knows there is illegal movement of coal across different routes but the government chooses to deny it. He said that people working in the field have shared details about the movement of trucks, and these details match with what the committee has found on its own.
Marak also claimed that several well-connected individuals may be involved and that the system seems to be running in a coordinated manner. He said that more information is being collected about how the money is distributed and which offices and officials are receiving it. He also said that some verbal statements have been collected about the amounts paid for allowing the trucks to move.
According to the BJP leader, the illegal coal transportation has created a situation where the GHADC is losing revenue that it could otherwise collect. He said that legal transportation would help the GHADC earn income, but what is happening now is depriving the council of its rights. He also said that trucks are moving without challans and, in many cases, they may also be carrying loads beyond the permitted limits.
The BJP claimed that officials from the district council are being stopped from checking the trucks even in areas that fall under council control. Marak said that the state government has taken away the authority of the district council in matters where the council should have a role. According to him, this is affecting tribal institutions and also reducing the income of the local bodies.
He said that the party has already filed an FIR and shared some information, but the government has not taken any serious steps. Because of this, he said, many people now feel that an investigation by the ED may be required, since money is allegedly being collected illegally. He said the party still hopes the state machinery will act, which is why complaints are first being sent to the state government.
