VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Feb13: Senior IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre Pooja Singhal continues to face legal problems as the senior advocate of Jharkhand High Court, Rajeev Kumar, has submitted a complaint against her to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Pooja Singhal is the secretary of the Department of Mines and Geology and the Managing Director of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (JSMDC).
“The ED is investigating her involvement in the MNREGA scheme in Khunti and Chatra districts. The ED has informed the Jharkhand High Court that the agency is investigating her involvement. I have submitted additional evidence of her involvement in the scam related to her current department and the JSMDC. Let ED investigate this scam too,” said Rajeev Kumar, who happens to be the lawyer in the PIL filed by Arun Kumar Dubey seeking a probe against Singhal.
Rajeev Kumar alleged that Pooja Singhal allowed the operation of the Pachdumar Sand Ghat of JSMDC situated in Garhwa district of Jharkhand State in gross violation of conditions of prior environment clearance.
He said that the prior environment clearance dated August 31, 2018, of JSMDC Pachadumar sand ghat granted by State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Jharkhand mandates seeking of clearance from National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) at the condition at Para A8/17 and Para B 32 as this project is situated at a distance of 900 meters of Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary of Bihar State.
He further added that a complaint was also filed on February 2, before SEIAA for the prosecution of deemed accused persons for illegal mining under Section 15, 16, and 17 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. He said that such violations of the Environment Protection act come within the purview of the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act 2002.
The lawyer said that as per the law, Pooja Singhal as secretary of the mining department and the director of the JSMDC is liable for prosecution since she is deemed accused.
Pooja Singhal is allowing operation of Pachadumar sand ghat through her handpicked contractors illegally without seeking wildlife clearance from NBWL and as such all the money whether in the bank accounts of JSMDC, Pachadumar sand project or bribe money both comes within the definition of proceeds of crime against which Enforcement Directorate,” the complaint reads.
