Arunachal Pradesh/MARGHERITA | Sept 20, 2016:
More than 700 people of Baragolai region gathered at Margherita SDO(C) office on Tuesday and staged a dharna against NECF Coal India Limited Margherita for the proposed plan to start open cast mining at Baragolai due to which more than 60 houses will be demolished.
The protesters were led by Nagarik Suraksha Samity president Prakash Sharma and secretary Amit Debnath. They took out a protest rally from St. James School to Margherita SDO(C) office and shouted various slogans against NECF Coal India Limited Margherita.
Amit Debnath, secretary of Nagarik Suraksha Samity, said that Baragolai Colliery fell under NECF Coal India Limited Margherita where people had been living for many decades. But suddenly NECF Coal India Limited decided to set up open cast mining and this would make many people homeless. “We demand that the proposed open cast mining at Baragolai should be stopped, the order of eviction which NECF Coal India Limited Margherita has given to the residents of Baragolai region should be cancelled, underground coal mining should be opened, local youths should be employed and the roads of Baragolai region should be constructed. If our demands are not fulfilled at the earliest then we will intensify our agitation in the coming days,” said Prakash Sharma and Amit Debnath.
A memorandum was submitted to Margherita SDO(C) which was received by Margherita Election Officer Jagadish Brahma. A 12-hour Baragolai bandh was also called by Nagarik Suraksha Samity on Tuesday.
(Source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/)