DIGBOI, Nov 29 - Amidst denials by various State authorities and continuous allegations of various local organisations and the Opposition Congress, centering around the alleged coal syndicate in Margherita, officials of the Jagun forest range nabbed four illegal coal diggers red-handed in Namphai Reserve Forest under Digboi Forest division in Tinsukia district today.
The accused held in the act early this morning were Danu Parza (22), Sanu Parza (24), Kapil Parza (23) of Kailashpur area in Bordumsa and Biki Sarkar (25) of Margherita Babul Cinema Hall area.
The forest team during the operation also recovered and seized a water-pump and generator set and other equipment being used by the accused in digging and watering the rate-hole mine to extract the coal illegally from the said coal rich deposit site in the government protected flora belt of Namphai RF under Jagun Forest range. They were booked under Sections 24 and 25 of Assam Forest Regulation Act 1891 and Amendment Act 1995. Their act was also in violation of Section 144 CRPC promulgated in the entire Margherita subdivision via official order No MRG1/2006/PT/133 dated November 18, 2019.
�We may have formal limitation dealing directly with mining activities but we also have enough laws and judicial orders to act against illegal activities including mining, when we feel that the activities may be detrimental for the ecology�, said Ranjan Kumar Das, the newly-promoted Chief Conservator of Forests, Assam Eastern Circle at Jorhat addressing a query of this correspondent.
