Cong MP Gaurav Gogoi demands CBI enquiry into Umrangso coal mining case

Digboi, Jan. 10: Member of Parliament and Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Friday demanded a CBI inquiry into the Umrangso coal mining case.

Congress leaders staged a sit-in in Digboi on Friday, holding placards condemning the illegal coal mining activities in the state and the ruling BJP government. The protestors raised slogans against the BJP government and called for swift action to bring those involved in the illegal mining to justice.

The protestors also gathered to pay their respects to the worker who was found dead inside the coal mine.

Condemning the district administration, the police, and the state government, Gaurav Gogoi said, “They want to arrest common people and bury the whole scam under the rug.”

Gogoi further stated that the people of Assam must be made aware of the syndicates operating in the state.

“What is the double-engine BJP government doing today? They have destroyed the hills and forests of Assam. This is the result of the political careers of individuals who are deeply tied to coal and broiler syndicates. As long as these individuals remain in power, Assam’s economy will not improve. The syndicate environment in Assam will not change. Incidents like Umrangso will continue, and the working class will keep losing their lives,” Gogoi said.

The Parliamentarian also stated that the BJP government has failed to draft proper economic policies for the state, which forces youth into dangerous jobs.

“We do not want economic policies dependent on syndicates. The unemployed youth and working class of Assam do not want to risk their lives. They don’t wish to work 300 feet underground, but they have no choice; they need money to run their households. This highlights the failure of the BJP’s economic policies, which have forced the youth and working class of Assam into such hazardous work,” Gogoi said.

He further criticized the government for working against the poorer sections of society, saying, “The Chief Minister ranks ninth among the wealthiest Chief Ministers. What concerns do they have? We see the BJP in Assam destroying forests, hills, and coal while evicting poor people from their homes. They bulldozed the houses of the poor. Now, I ask, whose houses will they bulldoze next? Corruption is no longer a question. The Chief Minister doesn’t even acknowledge the involvement of any BJP leader in this scam.”

Highlighting the Supreme Court’s ruling on rat-hole mining, Gogoi said, “Commissions have reported that rat-hole mining continues in Assam, even though the Supreme Court has prohibited it. The reason for this illegal mining is the failure of the BJP’s economic policies.”

Gogoi also added, “The Chief Minister has time to visit Bombay and Bhutan but no time to visit Umrangso. It is his moral responsibility to visit the place.”