Tue Jan 21 12:56:26 UTC 2025: ## Assam Party Demands Action Against Officials Over Deadly Illegal Mining

**Guwahati, Assam – January 21, 2025** – The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a regional political party, has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take swift and decisive action against political leaders and government officials complicit in illegal rat-hole coal mining. The demand follows a January 6th mining disaster in Dima Hasao district’s Umrangso, where nine miners were trapped, with four bodies recovered so far.

The AJP’s letter to the Prime Minister criticizes Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s decision to form yet another inquiry commission, arguing that previous investigations, including a 2020 report by a commission headed by Justice (retired) Brajendra Prasad Katakey and a 2023 CAG report, have been ignored. These reports detailed widespread illegal mining activity and implicated high-ranking officials.

AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan highlighted the Chief Minister’s conflicting statements regarding the number of illegal mines in the area, and accused the government of facilitating illegal operations. They specifically pointed to the Director General of Police’s admission that illegal mining continues in the Ledo-Margherita area.

The AJP contends that merely establishing another inquiry commission is an “eyewash” without consequences for previous findings. They are demanding the filing of First Information Reports (FIRs) against those directly involved and those who allowed or ignored the illegal activities. The party also seeks action against the Managing Director of the Assam Mineral Development Corporation (AMDC), Natarajan Anand, for his alleged direct involvement in violation of Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal orders. Further, the AJP demands action against owners of cement plants, brick kilns, and coke units profiting from the illegal coal trade. The party emphasizes the need for a transparent and independent investigation to ensure accountability. The ongoing rescue operation, which could take 25 to 60 days to drain the flooded mine, continues.

Read More