UDP legislator from Khliehriat constituency (East Jaintia Hills) and the cabinet Minister Kyrmen Shylla on Monday admitted it will not be easy for the state Government to totally stop illegal coal mining despite approving scientific mining.
Talking to reporters in Shillong, Shylla said that the law is there for everything; however, that does not stop the people from committing crimes or illegal deeds.
The Minister further asked, “I have seen the law is there for everything but the people they didn’t stop killing, didn’t stop rape, so they didn’t stop so many illegal things but in the end why these things happen?”
“In coal, there might be some things that people cannot follow, if they give a law where people cannot follow, it will not be so stringent that they will not suffocate, people break the rules for a reason. But I do not encourage that, if you find any difficulties, they can give out suggestions,” he reasoned.
“But to say 100 percent of what we proposed or the Government proposed that 100 percent it will stop, I might not be able to give any commitment,” he added.
The Minister further stated that the people of Jaintia Hills have faith in the new proposal and that they will not give a chance for people to break the law.
“I have seen people’s cooperation are also there but it may be just one or two trying to do something behind and what is the reason nobody knows it but I believe that what I have seen and what I have heard that almost everyone are cooperating with the state knowing that the Government is coming out with scientific mining,” Shylla said.
Expressing confidence that the proposals of the Government to start scientific mining in the state will be well accepted, the Minister said, “It’s just that I have mentioned that may be few will try to break it due to some reason which nobody knows it and for that we will try to trace and track it and should not allow anybody to break the law and try to do illegalities.”