VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Jan. 12: The Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC) allowing a scam-tainted contractual staff Ashok Kumar to quietly walk away scot-free, has given rise to questions whether or not the State public undertaking and the mining department hushed up this matter out of the fear that an FIR would mean inviting the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Reliable sources claimed that JSMDC Managing Director Ameet Kumar had even given his consent to lodge an FIR against Ashok Kumar. But the JSMDC changed its mind and surprisingly did not lodge a police complaint despite allegations involving a huge amount. The police investigation can probably blow the lid off many other scams.
The mining department is saddled with a serious stone mining scam to the tune of Rs. 1000 Crore investigated by the ED. Notably, the ED has informed the Hemant Soren government that the former mining secretary Pooja Singhal arrested in the MNREGA scam was also involved in the mining scam. The ED also pointed out the role of several district mining officers in the scam and recommended the government to prosecute Pooja Singhal and other DMOs under Prevention of Corruption Act.
In such a situation there is a buzz in the mining sector that officials apparently fear a FIR against Ashok Kumar would give the ED another opportunity to expose yet another scam which may have a serious repercussion on many high ups.
The JSMDC terminated the contract of coal and sand in-charge Ashok Kumar in December last year. But no FIR was lodged despite the fact that the JSMDC charged him for committing a scam to the tune of Rs. 76.54 lakh in sand quarry and transportation at Kharsota and Pachadumar sand ghats. 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.
In one such notice issued September 23 last year, ahead of his termination, the JSMDC had warned him with legal consequences if he didn’t return the said amount. But there is no confirmation whether the JSMDC extracted the said amount from Ashok Kumar as both Ashok Kumar and the JSMDC are tight-lipped on this matter. The JSMDC managing director did not respond to any query.
Well placed sources said before issuing him a notice and termination, an internal inquiry was also conducted by a senior official Lalit Kumar. The inquiry report indicted him on several counts of misconduct.
Ashok Kumar misused his power treated sand mining ghat as personal property
The JSMDC is an undertaking company of the Jharkhand government. It is the lessee of mining ghats in Jharkhand and, in turn, outsources mining and transportation work to different contractors.
As per the JSMDC record, Ashok Kumar took an undue and personal interest for the ‘permit apply’ of 32 lakh CFT for someone at Kharsota sand ghat. It was done during January to March last year. Out of the said quantity there was no record of 2710251 CFT sand worth Rs. 5135462. Similar anomalies were done during procurement of sand at Pachadumar where 765636 CFT sand worth Rs 2519486 was missing from the stock.
