With the arrest of the main broker, Kuldeep Singh, for running a coal syndicate in the Byrnihat-Khanapara area, it has been observed by the investigating agency that there might be a political rivalry that has led to the recent controversy and action against the syndicates.
A police source revealed that the business has been continuing since a long time and two groups, both headed by a politician, were running the syndicate.
Currently however, only one group is receiving the commissions irking the other group which had, all these days, been getting the cuts. The media was accordingly informed by the other gang to raise the issue.
The police was inert till 5th January 2018 in interfering with the coal-laden trucks. Senior police officials had asked the local police not to interfere in the matter as it is under the jurisdiction of the transport department.
The source said, “On 5th January, a high-level meeting between the transport department and the police decided that the syndicate has to be broken and the trucks freighting coal to Guwahati have to be enforced to follow all norms.”
Since then, 7 brokers have been arrested and many more are on the run.
Kuldeep Singh is considered to be one of the kingpins who, all these days, had managed the syndicate. The brokers have links with the transport officials and tax department officials. The officials get the commissions and a portion is sent to the political leader who heads the syndicate.
Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader, Akhil Gogoi, filed a complaint with the Basistha police seeking an inquiry into the alleged role of the police, transport department officials and politicians in the coal syndicate.
Gogoi alleged that a syndicate of police, transport department officials and political leaders were collecting money from overloaded trucks despite existing laws.
The police have not yet filed a case as, according to them, they are still inquiring into the matter.
Surge in the number of trucks carrying coal
Even as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned coal mining in the northeast region, there is a surge in the number of trucks carrying coal from Meghalaya to Beltola.
“Before the NGT ban was implemented, around 150 coal-laden trucks used to come to Guwahati every night. But after the ban around 200 trucks carrying coal come to Guwahati every night,” a transport department source said.
At present previously mined coal is being transported but most of the trucks flout all the norms.
The Ri Bhoi district administration and police are facing a tough time curbing illegal transportation of coal out of the state following a Supreme Court order last year.
The Ri Bhoi district police have detected 488 coal-laden trucks flouting rules since the apex court extended the transportation deadline for four months last November, a Meghalaya based regional media reported.
According to a source working with the coal syndicates since a long time in Beltola area, the Jorabat police and the Basistha police check the incoming trucks from Meghalaya. The coal trucks which come from Jaintia Hills do not follow the norms implemented by the NGT and Meghalaya government.
Normally, an overloaded truck has to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 and an additional Rs 1,000 for each tonne exceeding the permissible limit of 9 tonnes.
If ten trucks cross the gates, challans are produced for only a fraction of them. The personnel at the gates are managed by the brokers in collusion with transport officials
The trucks, after crossing the main Meghalaya check gates at Seven Mile, Umling and Byrnihat, enter Guwahati through Jorabat.
The registration number of the trucks is provided to the Byrnihat police two days before the trucks reach Byrnihat. The trucks then dump the coal at coal depots with the help of middlemen and thereafter the coal becomes legal to be supplied across the country.
After 5th January 2018, the city police have deployed a battalion at Khanapara to check illegal coal smuggling.
Additional Commissioner of Police, Basistha, Moushumi Kalita said, “There are strict instructions from senior police officers to eradicate the illegal coal smuggling for which a battalion has been deployed at Khanapara.”
A police source said that prior to 5th January only a few patrolling parties used to check transportation and coal laden trucks used to be checked by the transport department but now the police is on the task.
