Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on April 10 said that the state will ensure that illegal mining and transportation of coal are stopped at any cost.
He said that one should know that even though police are present round the clock still criminal activities are happening in the state.
"You need to understand that we don't know when the thief will arrive at our place. You know, humanly speaking, we're doing our best, and we'll do whatever it takes to stop unlawful mining operations,'' he said while speaking to the media.
He also said that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) recently directed the Meghalaya High Court to stop the illegal movement of coal in Meghalaya.
"Let me reassure the people of the state that the state police are fully prepared to handle any situation,'' he added.
In March this year, the Meghalaya High Court had directed the state government to deploy 10 companies of CISF to check on the illegal coal trade in the state.
The bench comprising of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee, Justices HS Thangkhiew, and W Diengdoh, which was hearing a suo motu PIL regarding illegal coal mining in the state, observed that the government's plan is "grandiose" in that it seeks to deploy 100 companies of the CRPF in the eastern range and 60 companies in the western range. One company employs 135 people.
The court further said that it was fair and reasonable to use 10 CISF companies instead of the CRPF because the CRPF is under the command of the state police, while the CISF can work on its own.
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