Guwahati, Assam: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President and Lok Sabha MP, Gaurav Gogoi, on Wednesday significantly escalated his demand for a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into alleged “institutionalized illegality” and rampant illegal mining within the Karbi Anglong district. This intensified call by MP Gogoi follows a recent directive issued by the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
Gogoi emphasised that a high-level probe of this nature is the singular path to unearthing the complete scale of these unbridled activities. The CEC’s directive specifically instructed the Assam Director General of Police (DGP) and the Chief Secretary to ensure stringent adherence to the existing 2019 prohibition on illegal mining and associated operations near the ecologically sensitive Kaziranga National Park (KNP). This order from the CEC arrives nearly five months after an unnamed government official brought to light the rampant and intensified illegal mining in the immediate vicinity of the national park, directly flouting the Apex Court’s prior mandates.
Taking to his official social media handle ‘X’, Gogoi stated, “The report by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee confirms what many feared: illegal mining in Karbi Anglong continues unchecked, in blatant violation of court orders.” He highlighted that the southern buffer of Kaziranga is currently under a “grave ecological threat” due to these persistent activities. Furthermore, he alleged that the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) had given its approval to these mining operations despite lacking any legal authority to do so. He also drew attention to the significant increase in central funding for the KAAC in this year’s Union Budget, and pointed out that the council’s Chief Executive Member is a “close and visible associate of the Chief Minister.”
Gogoi concluded by reiterating his previous communication with the Prime Minister on this matter, stating, “I have raised this issue with the Prime Minister before. Today, I reiterate: only a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry can uncover the full scale of this institutionalized illegality.”
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