Local Residents Halt Coal Trucks Over Alleged Illegal Transport

In Dergaon, local residents and activists successfully stopped 14 coal-laden trucks over concerns regarding illegal transport and missing documentation. The protest raised questions about police involvement, with accusations of delayed response and complicity in the illegal trade. Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi has called for immediate government action to address these issues. The community is urging authorities to take a stand against such practices to prevent further illegal coal trading.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 11, 2026, 11:14 IST

Protest Against Coal Transportation

The trucks were to go through the PHCG Road via Golaghat, but they were stopped at Balijan, five km from Dergaon Chariali

Dergaon, Nov 11: A group of local residents, along with members of KMSS and Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti, successfully halted 14 trucks loaded with coal at Balijan, located under the jurisdiction of Dergaon police station, yesterday evening.

Reports indicate that the trucks, which were en route to Tuli railway station in Nagaland from Meghalaya, were intercepted due to suspicions raised by the locals and activists. The vehicles were meant to travel through PHCG Road via Golaghat but were stopped at Balijan, approximately five kilometers from Dergaon Chariali, where they would have turned back towards Nagaland. The protesters established a blockade and alerted the police.

The demonstrators claimed that the trucks did not possess the necessary challans for transporting coal to their intended destination. They also criticized the police for their delayed response to the situation.

Several truck drivers mentioned that they were instructed by the truck owners to halt at Balijan due to the absence of proper documentation.

Ripun Mahanta, a KMSS member, accused the Dergaon Police of arriving at the scene half an hour late, despite the police station being only five kilometers away. He suggested that this delay indicated police complicity in the illegal coal transport, asserting that the police were acting under orders from higher authorities to escort the trucks back to Meghalaya.

Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi intervened, calling on the Chief Minister and the State DGP to take swift action to seize the coal-laden trucks and address the illegal activities of traders. On social media, Gogoi expressed concerns about a potential police connection with the illegal traders, suggesting that instead of confiscating the trucks, the police provided them with an escort back to Meghalaya.

In response to inquiries, Basanta Saikia, the Officer in Charge of Dergaon PS, stated that the trucks were sent back due to public opposition to their passage. He emphasized that the public should not be involved in verifying the challans, but the protest necessitated the trucks' return.

Concerned residents of Dergaon have called on the government to take immediate action to halt such illegal coal trading activities.