Dark coal trail: Allegations mount over illegal coal entry from Arunachal to Assam

Serious allegations have resurfaced over the illegal transportation and financial exploitation surrounding coal mined from Kharsang in Arunachal Pradesh. 

The International Human Rights Council, Tinsukia District Committee, has questioned the legality of coal entering Assam despite official documents suggesting mining operations in the Namchik-Namphuk coal block are legal under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.

According to the Council, the Government of India has reportedly granted mining rights in the region to Coal Pulz Pvt. Ltd. via the Arunachal Pradesh Mineral Development & Trading Corporation Ltd. (APMDTCL). However, troubling developments have raised red flags over the legitimacy of the subsequent transportation process.

“If the coal mining in Kharsang is legal,” the Council asks, “why is a person surnamed Hazarika collecting ₹1.46 lakh as an 'entry fee' to transport the coal? And how has coal moved from Jagun to Guwahati under overloading conditions without being stopped by any enforcement agency?”

Why has a person with the surname Mout managed to transport coal from Jagun (Assam) to Guwahati without any obstruction from the police, forest department, mines and minerals department, or transport authorities, even while clearly violating overloading norms?

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Further accusations point to illegal financial transactions, violations of royalty payment norms, and the unchecked flow of hundreds of coal-laden trucks across Assam without state revenue being collected. The Council alleges that influential individuals from both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam may be complicit in the nexus of irregularities.

L. Ratan Singh, General Secretary of the Council's Tinsukia District Committee, condemned the illegal profiteering and manipulation of public resources. “This is exploitation of public wealth and betrayal of people’s trust. We demand a full-scale investigation by the Government of India,” he stated.

The committee has warned that a detailed list of political leaders allegedly involved in the illegal coal trade will be disclosed in the second part of their report. Meanwhile, they plan to submit a written complaint seeking accountability and action.

The coal controversy, if left unchecked, could potentially expose a deep-rooted web of corruption and administrative apathy affecting border regions and resource governance in the Northeast.