Council grills South Kalimantan Governor over illegal coal mining issue

The South Kalimantan provincial Council grilled last week Governor Sjachriel Darham over the slow progress in resolving the rampant illegal coal mining activities in the province, the local Banjarmasin Post daily reported on Monday.

The paper also said that many of councilors lambasted the role of the illegal coal mining curbing team, formed by the governor. They said that the team had not curb the illegal mining activity, but instead they have only collected fees from the illegal miners, which have no legal basis at all.

The Council demanded the governor to liquidate the team an form a new team in accordance with the new autonomy law.

Illegal coal mining activity has been rampant in South Kalimantan.(*)