SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, April 8: Jharkhand Assembly Internal Resources and Central Assistance Committee Chairman Dr Irfan Ansari today said that illegal mining of coal and sand is going on a large scale in Dhanbad district.
Dr Ansari while talking to media persons after holding a review meeting with officials at the circuit house on Saturday said that there is open loot of sand and coal in the district and officials in connivance with contractors are siphoning off fund.
“ Major irregularities were found during the review meeting and I would submit the report about it. Definitely action would be taken over irregularities,” said Dr Irfan Ansari.
Dr Ansari, Congress MLA from Jamtara peeved with absence of the district mining officer (DMO) at a meeting of the Jharkhand Assembly Committee and announced that he would lodge a complaint against him.
Dr Ansari said that work of Jharkhand Assembly Internal Resources and Central Assistance Committee is to probe the fund given by the government and monitor the departments which do not use it properly. He said that in course of review of files he found major irregularities in the mining and drinking water and sanitation departments. Mining scam is alarming, he added.
“ In the drinking water and sanitation department, major projects are still incomplete. Officials in connivance with contractors are spoiling the projects. So, the committee has taken this seriously and directed the department to complete the projects on time and honestly.
He said that the state government is committed to give speed to the development works and provide benefit to the needy. This could be possible only when the projects are completed in time, he added.
Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) Shashi Prakash Singh, ADM Nand Kishore Gupta, Civil Surgeon Dr Alok Viswakarma, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Arvind Kumar Sinha, Regional officer of Pollution Control Board Rampravesh Kumar were also present at the review meeting.