India, Dec. 25 -- The performance audit is a severe indictment of the state mining department's operations

"There was serious air, water and environmental pollution caused by illegal, unregulated and indiscriminate mining being carried on in various parts of the state of Meghalaya". These are not the words from a press release of an environmental non-profit or an anti-mining group formed by mining-affected community.

This is the conclusion reached in a 44-page performance audit on the operations of Meghalaya's mining department by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). The Meghalaya government had received the audit report on August 23 this year. But it decided to table it on the last day of state assembly's autumn session ...