GUWAHATI: In an interesting development, the Gauhati High Court has asked the Assam Government to appraise the court whether the State is prepared to come up with a comprehensive plan for protection of the monuments pertaining to Ahom dynasty, including the coal mines.
The court was hearing a suo motu PIL on the basis of a letter dated April 5, 2018 written by late Nilay Dutta, Senior Advocate, pertaining to the illegal mining activities taking place in the various locations under Digboi Forest Division.
The counsel for the Gauhati High Court drew the attention of the Court to the fact that in the process of illegal mining activities, the monuments pertaining to Ahom dynasty are also being destroyed or encroached by persons with vested interest.
The division bench of the Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Suman Shyam observed that prima facie it appears that that “illegal encroachment of the heritage sites related to the Ahom dynasty, including those of Chaolung Sukapha, the father of Ahom kingdom, is going on unabated due to the absence of any protective steps taken by the State Government”. The court then asked the Advocate General of Assam to apprise the court in the next hearing as to whether the State is prepared to come up with a comprehensive plan for protection of the monuments pertaining to Ahom dynasty, including the coal mines.