Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) has decided to crack down on illegal coal mines in its leasehold areas across West Burdwan, Purulia and Bankura districts, the move coming on the heels of the CBI on Wednesday arresting seven present and former officials of the central government utility in the coal scam case .

ECL sources said that the decision to start its raids came following Wednesday’s arrests in the backdrop of allegations against a section of ECL officials for colluding with coal smugglers.

Those arrested on Wednesday face charges of allegedly colluding with coal smugglers and accepting money from them to allow pilferage of national property.

The arrests and the preceding CBI raids have sent shockwaves among the ECL employees in Asansol. Sources said this was first-of-its-kind incident in a central public sector unit in this region in which seven present and former officials were arrested by the CBI.

The special task force comprising officials of the ECL and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), earlier formed to check illegal coal mining, has been revived recently.

The task force will visit several illegal mining prone areas and fill up the pits with sand dug by pilferers to steal coal, and take the help of local administration and police during this drive.

“We have shut down many illegal coal pits in recent past in West Burdwan and Purulia. The drive will continue,” said an ECL official in Asansol. He, however, refused to accept that the drive started in the backdrop of the coal scam and arrests of ECL employees by the CBI. “It is our regular practice. We do this whenever we get information of illegal mining in our leasehold areas,” he said.

However, sources said the central vigilance team of Coal India has instructed all its subsidiaries, including the ECL, to take serious steps to stop illegal coal mining and keep strict vigil on its employees.