The Assam Government has urged the Meghalaya Government to ensure security to the coal mine labourers, who are working in the coal rich Garo hills region of the neighbouring State.
This came after eight coal mine labourers from Assam were killed and three others were wounded at Garegittim and Nongalbibra areas in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills district on Sunday last. Seven of those killed are from Assam’s Goalpara district while one hailed from Dhubri district in the Indo-Bangla border.
Police said that Sunday’s attack on the labourers came after a mob turned violent while protesting an alleged bid to molest a mentally challenged girl on Friday night at Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills. A migrant labourer from Assam was killed and three vehicles were set ablaze by that mob, forcing authorities to clamp curfew in the entire district.
“The State Government had already taken up the matter with Meghalaya. The Meghalaya Government had also intensified security in and around the affected areas,” said a senior official.
He also informed that an ex-gratia payment had also been announced to the keen of all the eight victims. Besides, the Meghalaya government had also announced Rs 4 lakh each to the families of all the victims.
“All the eight bodies have been recovered and post mortem had been conducted at Williamnagar. The bodies were later handed over to the families in their respective places,” he said adding that steps had also been taken to ensure that there is no repercussion in Assam side.
In May this year, suspected militant outfit in Garo Hills have killed five migrant labourers at Darangdura, 10 kms away from Nangalbibra in the district.
In a similar incident, another five coal labourers were gunned down in the Goka coal dumping site in South Garo Hills in 2011.