A writ petition filed by activist Agnes Kharshiing was turned down by the Supreme Court. It had alleged illegal mining and transportation of coal in Meghalaya.
The order which was issued by the Apex court dated October 14, 2020 stated that the writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn.
The chief minister Conrad Sangma has been firm that there is no illegal coal mining in Meghalaya. He claims that the government has taken all possible measures to put an end to the unlawful movement of coal-laden trucks. He has even stated that people need to change their mindset and must not come to a natural conclusion that all trucks carrying coal are ‘illegal’.
He further stated that people suspect illegality even when trucks carry all the necessary documents and challans for coal transportation.
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“Learned senior counsel for the petitioners seeks leave to withdraw the writ petition to enable him to raise appropriate grievances before the National Green Tribunal, where the matter is pending for consideration. The writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn with aforesaid liberty,” the order by the Apex court.
The president of the Civil Society Women’s Organisation Kharshiing even sustained critical injuries in 2018 after she was brutally assaulted in Kong Ong village by men with alleged links with the coal mafia. Then, the Congress Party in Meghalaya demanded a CBI investigation into the attack.
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