Assam Cabinet Orders Judicial and SIT Probes Into Dima Hasao Coal-Mine Tragedy
GUWAHATI: Bogged down by growing charges of opposition Congress of patronising illegal coal mining in the state, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday announced that state cabinet has decided to institute a judicial and Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the coal-mine tragedy in which at least nine workers are feared to have been killed in Dima Hasao district.
He told reporters that the cabinet has also approved ₹10 lakh compensation each to the kin of the four workers whose bodies were recovered from the flooded coal mine.
It is significant that nearly 40 workers were in the illegal mine on January 6 when it was flooded. At least 25 of them managed to escape from the nearly 300-feet well-shaped mine while nine got trapped.
Mr Sarma after the Cabinet meeting said that the chances of finding survivors were very slim as it has been over 10 days since the flooding. “The Cabinet approved ₹10 lakhs to kin of those whose bodies have been found and those yet to be traced,” he said.
Mr Sarma said that retired high court judge Anima Hazarika will head a judicial commission to probe the mishap and fix responsibility. The commission will submit its report in three months.
The Cabinet directed Assam Police chief GP Singh to form the SIT to probe the criminal negligence. The judicial commission will monitor the SIT probe.
In the wake of opposition Congress charges of allowing illegal mining of the coal in the state the chief minister clarified that around 220 illegal mines were operating in the same area. He said that they would look into satellite imagery of these mines to ascertain that since when these mining had started. “We have also instructed departments concerned to find ways of filling up these mines with the help of Central Mine Planning and Design Institute [Rachi],” said Mr Sarma.
He said the Cabinet had a detailed discussion with officials at the scene of the flooded mine. He informed that the mine was flooded with around 140 million litres of water. “We have extracted around 4 million litres from the mine. Nearly 100 million litres remain there. The officials informed us that if the present rate of dewatering continues, it will take another 25-60 days to flush out the remaining water,” said Mr Sarma.
Earlier Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday said that he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a SIT probe into the mining tragedy in Assam, which left several labourers in a coal quarry dead.
He also alleged that "illegal mining continues unchecked" due to "weak law enforcement and local complicity" in the northeastern state.