Coal transport from M'laya will stop today

From Staff Correspondent

Shillong, February 10: Transportation of the extracted coal from Meghalaya will come to a grinding halt on Wednesday evening.

The halt of the transportation will be in conformity with the tiol Green Tribul (NGT) ruling that gave a three months’ time to transport the extracted coal after payment of a lump sum royalty amount by the coal mine owners.

The penultimate day is February 11 and strict directions have been given by the State Chief Secretary to the departments concerned to ensure total compliance of the NGT order, along with riders that there should be no disturbances on the tiol highways.

Meghalya Chief Secretary PBO Warjri told The Sentinel over Phone on Tuesday evening that the district administrations, the departments of transport, taxation, mineral resources, and the police have been asked to work in close co-ordition to ensure that there is total compliance to the NGT directives.

The fresh direction stems up from the mayhem created by the frustrated truckers along tiol Highway 40 last Friday and Saturday. There was virtual chaos in the movement of traffic on the two days due to the agitating by coal transporters who indulged in violent activities to protest the tardy pace of completing the necessary procedures at the official exit points.

Warjri said the State will ensure that the NGT directive is followed in toto.

“We have already put in place an elaborate apparatus. The departments concerned have been asked to work closely and in tandem,” stated Warjri, even as he added that the government will take stringent measures against anybody who resorts to activities detrimental to the commuters and the general public at large.  His reference was to the violent activities on GS Road.

Asked on the strong disgruntlement among the truckers, Warjri stated, “The situation arises out of the mad rush by the coal truckers ahead of the expiry date”.

“You can have an unprecedented 10,000 odd trucks rushing out on a single day,” Warjri said, besides claiming that the mistake also lies with the overloaded coal laden trucks. It is learnt that the coal load has to be downloaded before getting the official challan. In the process of downloading, the truckers add up to their own colleagues’ misery.

Meanwhile, an additiol company of CRPF and three platoons of State police have been dispatched to Nongpoh to assist the existing police force.