An appeal made by the Kharsang Socio-Economic Development Society (KSEDS), seeking conduct of public hearing before the commencement of mining operations in the Namchik-Namphuk coal mine in Changlang district, should be supported by the state government. The society made the appeal after the ‘successful’ auction and awarding of the mine to Coal Pulz Limited Company. The Namchik-Namphuk coal mine is a very important source of revenue for the state. However, it is the local people who pay a heavy price for it. The coal mining directly affects the environment and the locals suffer from the mining activities.
Therefore the people of the affected area have every right to seek public hearing before the mining operations. The state government should heed to the appeal of the KSEDS and conduct the hearing. If the concerns of the local people are not properly addressed, the chance of law and order breakdown remains high. Such a situation will put the government into an uneasy situation. The state has already seen how the anti-dam movement turned violent in the past. In all of these, the locals had alleged that they were not consulted properly and their sentiments were not taken care of by the state government. Similar things should not be repeated with the Namchik-Namphuk coal mine.