Coal India Ltd has undertaken illegal mining of coal from a village in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh that too paying nothing to the state government, official sources said here today.

Taking serious note of such activities, Changlang district Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hage Batt, along with civil and police officials of the district, had inspected the inter state boundary located in Rangring area adjacent to the Namdang coal mine area of Assam last November and initiated steps to enrich the state coffer, the sources informed.

While inspecting the area, it was found that the CIL had engaged a few labourers for carrying out open cast mining by encroaching land in Rangring area of the district. The illegal extraction of coal from the area however, stopped after the DC directed the CIL to stop further extraction without the government’s permission, the sources said.

The team during inspection also found some SP/OB type houses, power house, temple, labour camp and trolley lines, constructed by CIL five to ten years back for mining operation. Besides, dumping of overburden and debris of open cast mines had been taking place in the area. There were also some underground tunnels situated on the Assam side of the inter-state boundary from where huge quantity of coal was being extracted, sources said.

The team also inspected Rangrin village areas and found that several gas outlets of underground tunnels. These are situated well within Arunachal’s territory. A few gas outlets had been sealed or abandoned by the CIL. The team also observed gas and smoke emitting from some outlets, sources informed.