Gaurav Gogoi Flags “Organised Plunder” in Karbi Anglong, Seeks PM’s Intervention

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising serious concerns over rampant illegal quarrying in the Panimura range of Karbi Anglong. He alleged that large-scale stone extraction operations are functioning without valid Environmental Clearances (EC), endangering ecology, public safety, and undermining legal frameworks.

The Congress leader highlighted findings from a recent inspection led by Karbi Anglong District Congress president Ratan Engti, accompanied by former MLAs Jagat Sing Engti and Hemsing Tisso. The team accused RS Gandhi’s company of causing “massive environmental destruction” through unchecked quarrying activities.

In his letter, Gogoi said quarry operators were originally allowed to extract 3 lakh cubic meters of stone over seven years beginning in 2017. However, local residents and documented complaints suggest that extraction has already exceeded 80 lakh cubic meters—25 times the permissible limit. This, he noted, has resulted in severe air and noise pollution, risks to nearby communities, and heavy revenue losses to the state exchequer.

Calling it part of a “pattern of organised plunder,” Gogoi drew parallels with past cases, including the January 2025 rat-hole mining tragedy in Dima Hasao that killed nine workers and the May 2025 Enforcement Directorate revelations on a coal syndicate operating across Assam and Meghalaya. Despite earlier assurances of inquiries and crackdowns, he said, there has been “little clarity or visible progress,” raising serious questions about accountability.

Gogoi alleged that the illegal quarrying in Karbi Anglong is linked to the same syndicate controlling mineral extraction across the state, pointing to “over-extraction, falsified records, organised transport, political protection, and collusion with officials.”

Urging urgent action, he demanded an independent probe into the Panimura operations, a review of earlier coal-related inquiries, immediate suspension of unlawful quarrying, and accountability not just for the operators but also for political actors and officials allegedly enabling the violations.

Also Read: Quarries Beyond Legal Limits, EC Lacking: Karbi Anglong Congress Calls for Probe