Shillong: Twelve trucks laden with coal were detained by the East Jaintia Hills district police in their continued crackdown on illegal mining and transport of coal.“On the intervening night of Feb 20 and 21, 12 trucks laden with coal were seized by district police,” East Jaintia Hills superintendent of police Pankaj Kumar Rasgania said.
The SP said the ongoing drive has so far led to the arrest of 22 people, registration of 94 FIRs, and the seizure of 17,322 metric tonnes of coal and 25.5 kg of explosives.Police action against illegal coal mining has been ongoing following the devastating dynamite blast in an illegal coal mine in the Mynsngat-Thangsko area in East Jaintia Hills on Feb 5, killing over 34 mine workers.On the other hand, the office of the district magistrate, West Garo Hills, Tura, has issued an advisory directing Local Area Development Committees (LADCs) under Tura Urban to ensure strict compliance with guidelines concerning migrant labourers engaged in construction works across the district.The advisory issued by district magistrate Vibhor Aggarwal calls for the directives to be widely communicated to residents in respective localities.All LADCs have been instructed to hold meetings within their jurisdictions to brief residents about recent incidents and organise awareness programmes to sensitise youth on the prevailing situation in the district.The advisory states that labourers and skilled workers engaged in building and road construction projects in both private and govt sectors must not be obstructed, as these projects are time-bound and require completion within stipulated deadlines.The order mandates that all migrant labourers engaged in construction activities must be registered with the state labour department.
