Re-look at the mining policy: Assam leader of opposition to speaker

GUWAHATI: Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia has written a letter to speaker and suggested that the house must seek input from experts on environment protection laws and mining/drilling activities to decide if the existing laws should be amended or new legislation framed to protect the long-term interests of Assam.

Saikia wrote to the Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Hitendra Nath Goswami and alleged that lacunae in the policy had endangered the environment and ecological balance of Assam and caused the disaster at Baghjan in Tinsukia district.

Saikia accused the state Government of flouting orders issued by the Supreme Court as well as the Gauhati High Court in connection with protection of the environment and wildlife in Assam.


He asked the Speaker to advise members of the Act Implementation Committee of the Assam Legislative Assembly, who would undertake a three-day visit to the Dehing-Patkai and Baghjan areas from 28^th June, to take a look at new construction activity near the National Highway in the middle of an elephant corridor in the Kaziranga National Park.