Guwahati: Months after a tragic rat-hole mining incident in Umrangso claimed the lives of nine workers, the Sixth Schedule Protection Committee of Dima Hasao has intensified its demand for the immediate public release of the One-Man Inquiry Commission report. The report, compiled by Retired Judge Anima Hazarika, was tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the devastating accident, but its findings remain undisclosed to the public.
*Daniel Langthasa, convenor of the committee and a former member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), has leveled serious allegations, asserting that an illicit mining syndicate has been operating for a considerable period with the explicit knowledge and alleged complicity of senior district officials. He has specifically implicated Debolal Gorlosa, the current Chief Executive Member (CEM) of NCHAC, and his wife, Kanika Hojai, alleging their direct involvement in these illegal rat-hole mining operations.
“In Dima Hasao district, the CEM and his wife have been running rat-hole mines for years. Kanika Hojai is even an approved customer of the Assam Mineral Development Corporation Ltd. How can authorities claim ignorance when hundreds of such illegal mines have been operating openly?” Langthasa questioned, highlighting what he perceives as a blatant disregard for regulations. He further accused the administration of illicitly benefiting from these operations while deliberately overlooking the perilous industry until the recent catastrophe brought it into the spotlight. “This cannot be brushed under the carpet. The miners lost their lives, and the illegal operations were conveniently paused. But unless action is taken and those responsible are punished, the mines will quietly reopen,” he cautioned, emphasizing the need for accountability.
Langthasa reiterated the paramount right of the Dima Hasao populace to be fully apprised of the inquiry’s conclusions. “The commission had a deadline. We are demanding that the report be released immediately in the public interest. Any attempt to suppress it would be unjust, and immediate steps must be taken based on its findings,” he stated, underlining the urgency of the matter. As of now, the state government has remained silent regarding the timeline for the report’s release or any potential actions that might ensue from its contents.
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