Shillong: Amid increasing demands in Meghalaya for a CBI inquiry into illegal coal-mining activities, reports have emerged that the state government has decided to withdraw its consent to the CBI.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told media persons that many states have done it, and it is nothing new. With this decision, Meghalaya joins Mizoram, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Kerala as the ninth state to withdraw consent to the central probe agency.
With this decision, the CBI cannot carry out any investigations in the state without the state government’s permission.
Former chief minister Dr Mukul Sangma and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) state leader said that they will have to look at the background of the circumstances leading to this decision. “Government must be responsive to any kinds of demand from the people, you have to have options whether the people will be accepting a particular decision of the government when the govt has to order to go into alleged irregularities through an inquiry if people don’t accept then the government has to give options,” said Dr Mukul.
He also stated that CBI is one of the options and if not then even the special investigation team (SIT) and other agencies.
“CBI always gives you that option to create that kind of trust in minds of people that the government means business and there is no reason to doubt their sincerity and commitment. To demonstrate the sincerity and commitment in addressing certain concerns of the people where an inquiry is required, sometimes, the government has to have an option of restoring to inviting an independent inquiry agency,” said the AITC leader.
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