Guwahati, Aug 22 (PTI) Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an independent inquiry into the alleged illegal quarrying in the Panimura Range of the state’s Karbi Anglong district.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Deputy leader of the Lok Sabha alleged that illegal quarrying operations are being carried out in Panimura, reportedly without valid Environmental Clearances, posing a grave threat to the ecological balance of the region, the safety of local communities, and the integrity of legal and regulatory frameworks.
It has been reported that quarry operators were originally permitted to extract 3 lakh cubic meters of stone over a period of seven years beginning in 2017. However, according to credible accounts from local residents and documented complaints, the actual extraction has already exceeded 80 lakh cubic meters within this period, Gogoi said.
”This is an astonishing figure that far surpasses the legal limits. The operations have caused severe air and noise pollution, placed nearby communities at risk, and led to enormous financial losses to the exchequer,” the Congress MP of Jorhat said.
Gogoi said that in January, he had written to the PM after nine workers lost their lives in an illegal rat-hole coal mine in Dima Hasao district and was informed that an Inquiry Commission and a Special Investigation Team had been constituted, and that 245 illegal mines had been sealed but there has been little clarity on the outcomes of those proceedings.
The opposition leader had again written to the PM in May 2025 after the Enforcement Directorate’s press release exposed a coal mining and transportation syndicate operating across Assam and Meghalaya.
”The ED’s findings revealed a criminal network using cross border transport, fake documentation, cash transactions, and coordination between illegal mines and industrial clients. Despite these revelations, there has been no visible progress, deepening public concern and raising questions of accountability,” Gogoi alleged.
He also asserted that the illegal quarrying in Karbi Anglong is part of the same syndicate that controls mineral extraction across the state.
“The methods are the same: over-extraction, falsified records, organised transport, and political protection,” the Congress leader said.
Gogoi alleged that there is a collusion between operators, political actors, and officials pointing to a nexus that thrives on corruption while eroding public faith in governance.
”Given this background, I urge the Government of India to order an independent investigation into the Panimura quarrying operations, review the progress of earlier coal-related inquiries, and immediately suspend all unlawful activities,” he said.
He also urged the PM to ensure that accountability be fixed not only on the operators but also on officials and political patrons who have enabled these violations. PTI DG NN
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