SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad June 10: Dhanbad DC Sandip Singh has set up a two-member committee to probe into Friday’s illegal mining incident in the Bhowra Colliery Area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and instructed it to submit the report in 24 hours.
The committee members are Sindri SDPO Abhishek Kumar under whose jurisdiction the Bhowra Colliery Area falls and Jharia Circle Officer (CO) Parmesh Kushwaha. Both officials also visited the spot during the rescue operation.
The coal roof in the Bhowra Colliery Area of BCCL, around 21 km away from here, caved in during illegal coal mining in which three persons, including a minor, were crushed to death.
The underground mines are active where BCCL has hired Dev Prabha outsourcing company for mining the coal.
“I have also sought a report from the BCCL headquarters about the incident and would take action against the outsourcing company if lapses are found on its part,” said the DC.
Since the DC holds meetings of the Task Force every month for checking the illegal mining, the Bhowra colliery incident has rattled the district administration.
The then Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais in Dhanbad on January 20 last, had expressed a deep concern over illegal mining incidents and had asked the officials of the district administration and authorities of the BCCL to stop it in the interest of national property and loss of lives.
Bhowra Colliery Area general manager SS Das admitted that despite a ban on entry into the mining area, some people were doing illegal mining. The action would be taken on the basis of the probe report.
