Coal traders of Margherita air grievances

From a Correspondent

MARGHERITA, Jan 8: North Eastern Coal Traders Association Margherita was formed on Saturday where reputed coal trader of Margherita, rayan Chandra Paul presided over the meeting.

Many burning problems which the coal traders of Margherita were facing were discussed. Vinod Kumar Gourh, coal trader of Margherita, said, “We have demanding of the North Eastern Coal Field Coal India Limited, Margherita to increase the coal tender but every time we are deprived of it. We need more than 20,000 metric tonnes coal but we are getting only 5,000 metric tonnes coal which does not fulfil the demands of consumers of Assam and other States,” said Vinod Kumar Gourh.

Jitu Das, a coal trader of Margherita, said, “Whenever we send the coal to West Bengal and Bihar ,the policemen of these two States forcefully demand Rs 1 lakh and more from one truck. The areas where West Bengal Police demands money from our trucks are Alipur Duar, Raiganj Moiguri and Barhat and the areas where Bihar Police demands money are Dalkhula, Purnia and Kishanganj, which is very unfortute as we are registered coal traders. After paying so much of tax we are bound to pay Rs 1 lakh and more per truck sent to West Bengal and Bihar,” said Jitu Das.

“We request the General Mager of North Eastern Coal Fields Coal India, Margherita and Assam Government to talk about this with West Bengal Police and Bihar Police so that we can do coal trade smoothly,” he added.

In the meeting, rayan Chandra Paul was selected as president, Ajoy Choudhury as vice-president, Jitu Das as secretary, Pankaj Choudhury and Vinod Kumar Gourh as joint secretaries, Raja Gupta as tresurer, and advocate Prateek Agarwal as legal advisor. A memorandum will given to the General Mager of NECF Coal India Limited Margherita on  January 9, said Vinod Kumar Gourh, joint secretary of North Eastern Coal Traders Association, Margherita.