Shillong Feb 20, 2020: The banned Hynñiewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has claimed responsibility for an IED explosion inside a coke factory at Kyllon Mathei Pyndeng Jalong near Riangdo in West Khasi Hills district alleging benami transaction in the area.

The militant outfit claimed that factory is being operated on benami, and these factories are flourishing with the help of local politicians  and businessmen.

“It is an irony to see that even employees are all non locals and our own people are deprived of jobs,”  HNLC general secretary  and publicity secretary, Saiñkupar Nongtraw said in a statement issued on Thursday evening while claiming responsibility for the blast.

“We claim responsibility for the IED explosion at Kyllon Mathei Pyndeng Jalong. The reason is because all these coke factories are benami  (Gigur Myrthong and Dharmu from Rajasthan).  These factories are flourishing by the help of the local politicians  and businessmen. It is an irony to see that even the employees are all non locals and our own people are deprived of jobs,” Nongtraw claimed.

Nongtraw alleged that areas like Riangdo, Shahlang are always doing brisk coal business but till date no kind of development can be seen in those areas, and roads are in pathetic conditions and the condition of the rural poor are also very bad.

“The same thing applies even in Jaiñtia hills. For decades we have seen coal mining and rich businessmen living luxurious lives in Jaiñtia hills but no development at all. There is not even a good hospital or a nursing home in Jaiñtia hills. All the rich businessmen make trips to apollo Delhi and Chennai but the locals are deprived of all the necessary healthcare,” Nongtraw said.

Stating that the economy of the state is going down drastically right from the Congress regime till the present Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) regime, Nongtraw siad that nothing has changed and all the representatives of the state legislative assembly are responsible for “our sorry state of affairs.”

He said that coal, being the prime business of the state had generated huge revenue all the while, but that was of no use.

“It filled up the government private miners  exchequer and the politicians, but our masses are still suffering under poverty and unemployment, and under development are at the rise. How long will the state be dependent on coal business? A time will come when all the mines will become emptied. Then where else shall the revenue come from? Dubai has the fastest growing economy worldwide, at the rate of 78% GDP. Even the Sheikhs of Dubai know that oil reserves shall dry up soon. Since then they have been indulging in mega projects that would raise up the economy and sustain in the long run,  Dubai is concentrating into tourism, finances, real estate and many other non oil sectors. Even when oil fields run dry, they would still be able to sustain themselves in the near future,” the HNLC statement said.

But in Meghalaya, Nongtraw said, everything is being taken for granted and alleged that leaders are “acting as parasites eating up all the resources of the state. Our leaders have done nothing for the state but for themselves. That is the reason why the people are suffering now, with such visionary leaders who have visions only to increase their bank balances and assets.”

The HNLC claimed that the IED explosion at Riangdo  was just a small beginning in order to prove that “we could have planted it in crowded places and created more casualties.”

The HNLC also claimed that it did the explosion in Shillong at Jhalupara and Jaiñtia hills without causing any hurt or injury in the past.

“We have always been provoked by the police about our capabilities, and this is again a warning that we could well plant it anytime at a vulnerable place and then the outcome shall be devastating. This is a warning to all the political leaders, businessmen to refrain from indulging into corrupt practices,” Nongtraw warned.