VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Jan. 11: The Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC) has quietly terminated the contract of sand and coal in-charge Ashok Kumar and allowed him to walk scot-free despite being charged with committing a scam to the tune of Rs. 76.54 lakh.
Ashok Kumar who also held the position of the second rank mining manager was considered the blue-eyed boy of former mining secretaries K. Srinivasan and Pooja Singhal.
The Lagatar24.com is in the possession of one such memo 1741, issued to him on 23rd September last year. In the memo he has been charged with committing irregularities in issuing sand mining challan from Kharsota and Pachadumar sand ghats. Both the sand ghats are situated in Garhwa district. In the memo the JSMDC even warned him with legal actions if he doesn’t return the amount to the JSMDC within 15 days of the receipt of this notice.
It is not clear whether the JSMDC has been able to realize that said amount from Ashok Kumar and why an FIR was not lodged against him.
JSMDC Managing Director Ameet Kumar did not reply to repeated phone calls and a message when asked for his comment. Ashok Kumar, on the other hand, confirmed that he has been terminated. But he denied charges of corruption against him and said that it was nothing but a confusion which he clarified to the satisfaction of the JSMDC.
“There was some confusion which I explained and cleared…the JSMDC is satisfied with my answer,” Ashok Kumar claimed.
When he was asked how he satisfied the JSMDC with his reply, he requested: “I don’t want to dig into this matter anymore. I am a poor man. I was terminated last month (December) and I am currently working in a private job.”
But the second notice sent to him clearly states that the JSMDC is not convinced with the whatsoever of his reply and he must cough-up 76.54 Lakh he embezzled.
How Ashok Kumar misused his power
The JSMDC, an undertaking company of the Jharkhand government, is the lessee of mining ghats in Jharkhand which, in turn, outsources mining and transportation work to different contractors. For Kharsota sand mine it is alleged that the ghat supervisor had not made any requisition to apply for permit. But Ashok Kumar taking undue interest made a ‘permit apply’ of 32 lakh CFT for someone. It was done during January to March last year.
Accordingly, the e-challan for mining was generated. As per the rule, after mining sand is first stored at the stockyard of the JSMDC. But only 7.31 Lakh CFT was taken at the stockyard. There was no record of the remaining 2710251 CFT sand worth Rs. 51,35,462 while the JSMDC had paid royalty of 32 lakh CFT sand to the mining department.
Similar anomalies were spotted in the sand stock of Pachadumar sand mine also. The stock assessment committee of the JSMDC carried out an inspection of the stock of Pachadumar on 25th July last year. As many as 765636 CFT sand worth Rs 2519486 was missing from the stock. Ashok Kumar could not explain why he took personal interest in getting ‘permit apply’ for someone for Kharsota sand mine and where a huge quantity of sand went missing.
Role of Ashok Kumar under the scanner
As a contractual employee of the JSMDC, Ashok Kumar allegedly did proxy mining. The stone and morrum mining lease was issued in favour of his wife Bidya Sharma in Garhwa district. Bidya Sharma has been mentioned as a native of Dindir, post office Haspura of district Aurangabad in Bihar. The mining site is situated at Mauza Singsingkalan under Chinia block, Panchayat Barwadih of the district. The mining site is registered under khata numbers 7 and 36 having plot numbers 859, 863, 856, and 1252.
Ashok Kumar was appointed on a contract basis in 2008. He served in the post of Project Officer of Garhwa district of JSMDC. He was promoted as Sand-in charge-cum-Coal-in charge cum Establishment officer. It is despite the fact that his appointment was purely on a temporary basis and his contract lapsed in 2017. JSMDC is a public sector company and a contractual employee cannot be inducted into the permanent post and get promoted although his service itself is contractual.
Ashok Kumar was booked under sections 420, 379 and 411 of IPC and section 54 of JMMC Rule in Ketar PS Case No. 04/2019 in Garhwa district. The FIR was registered as he was allegedly involved in forging a single used challan multiple times. But despite that, he was promoted and given important responsibilities.
