New Delhi: A “nexus between the Jharkhand and the West Bengal governments in illegal mining” is leading to frequent coal mine accidents, alleged Jharkhand BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash on Thursday.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha over the issue, Prakash said three collieries in the Nirsa region of Dhanbad, Gopinathpur, Kapasara and Dahibari had been closed after a recent cave-in at a coal mine, which killed 10 labourers and injured 20 others. While the said mines have been closed, Prakash said that the illegal coal mining is not stopped on the border areas of West Bengal and Jharkhand where maximum mining is done. “In the illegal mining of coal, there is unholy nexus between the Jharkhand government and the Bengal government, due to which the smuggling of coal is on the rise,” Prakash said.
He said that coal companies ECL and BCCL have written letters to the West Bengal and Jharkhand governments over the issue, but they did not take any action. “Those whom the CISF nab are not booked by the police, which does not register an FIR,” he alleged. Prakash demanded that a SIT be set up by the Central government and investigation be started into the matter. “Let us tell you that illegal coal mining in Dhanbad and Jharkhand is thriving and as a result, many people are dying during the illegal mining,” he pointed out.
Also read: SC says Jharkhand coal block auction to be subject to its orders
