Guwahati : The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) on Saturday launched a protest alleging illegal and rampant coal mining in upper Assam. According to reports, the AJYCP has accused government officials for the ongoing alleged illegal mining of coal in Margherita in Tinsukia.

They accused government officials, including the Chief Minister, of negligence and enabling these activities.

The organisation blamed the decline of the profitable Northeastern Coalfields (NEC) under Coal India Ltd. on the inaction of key officials, including Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sharma, and local administration.

They stated that out of six collieries in the Margherita subdivision – Bargolai, Ledo OCP, Tikok East & West, Tirap, and Tipong – only Tikok East remains operational due to widespread illegal mining.

This results in significant revenue loss for both the state and central governments, they claimed. The AJYCP also criticized MLA Bhaskar Sharma, accusing him of prioritizing profits from illegal mining over the development of his constituency.

They claimed that despite two terms in office, Sharma has failed to address crucial issues like soil erosion, poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, unemployment, and border disputes with Arunachal Pradesh.