In a significant crackdown in eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district, authorities sealed 13 illegal rat-hole mines and confiscated excavators in a joint operation at Bittu Pahar, Namdang colliery, on Saturday. The operation kicked off at 8:30 a.m. andShocking Scandal : Corrupt Lot Mandal Officer Arrested on Bribery Charges in Tinsukia, Assam included the involvement of various agencies, such as the Executive Magistrate of Margherita, Pritom Gogoi, Tinsukia Superintendent of Police Abhijit Gurav, and representatives from North Eastern Coalfields and Assam Power Distribution Company Limited.
During the raid, three miners were caught in the act of illegal coal extraction and subsequently detained. Authorities also dismantled unauthorized power lines and seized electric equipment found at the site. Executive Magistrate Pritom Gogoi affirmed their commitment to continue such operations in a bid to eradicate illegal mining activities.
This robust action aligns with a directive from the Assam Cabinet in January, instructing the permanent closure of all rat-hole mines in the North Eastern Coalfields following a fatal accident at a similar illegal mine in Umrangso, Dima Hasao district, which claimed several lives.
Despite this government intervention, illegal coal mining still raises concerns, particularly with citizens like Ranjan Chowdhury vocally opposing the unchecked operations in Margherita-Ledo. In a recent YouTube video, Chowdhury denounced the illegal mining as an organized crime syndicate supported by corrupt politicians, alleging that trucks carrying illegally mined coal frequently traverse highways unimpeded.
This operation is a part of ongoing efforts to curb unauthorized mining and ensure compliance with newly adopted Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aimed at preserving safety and order in the state’s mining practices.
