VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, May 20: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) allegedly ignored a complaint regarding a serious case of alleged corruption against IAS K. Srinivasan when he was the then mining secretary and managing director of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC).
He had passed a verbal order in July last year directing mining officers of Palamu, Garhwa, and Latehar to stop issuing the online sand transportation challans to leasees. The order obviously smelt a rat of corruption and the matter was brought to the notice of the Jharkhand assembly. That was a fit case of investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on whether or not such a verbal order was part of any wheeling and dealing. Even if a complaint was sent to the ACB by one Pankaj Yadav in July 2021, the ACB did not act.
“Leave alone talking about any preliminary inquiry or a regular FIR, the ACB officials even did not acknowledge that they have received my complaint and what they are going to do with my complaint. I have even not been told whether the complaint I lodged had some material value and whether or not the ACB made any investigation. This is how the ACB covers up the corruption of the bureaucrats,” said Pankaj Yadav. He alleged that it was done to fleece money from leasees and K. Srinivasan was instrumental behind this.
Srinivasan was transferred later on but it is not clear whether his verbal order was the reason behind his transfer. But mining officers of the districts said that sand transportation challan remained suspended for many months and the same was resumed after Pooja Singhal became secretary of the mining department with the additional charge of JSMDC managing director.
Srinivasan having issued a verbal direction to suspend transportation challan is officially recorded. The then deputy director of the mining department of Palamu Division Rajesh Kumar Pandey had issued a written order to mining officers of Palamu, Latehar and Garhwa districts that they need to stop issuing any transportation challan as per the verbal order of the mining secretary.
The process of issuance of an online e-challan for transportation of minerals in Jharkhand State is governed through a system called Jharkhand Integrated Mines and Mineral Management System (JIMMS) under the Department of Mines and Geology which has a statutory recognition under Rule 2(k) of Jharkhand Minerals (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2017.
E-challan of a dealer registration of sand can only be suspended or cancelled under Rule 8(III) of the Jharkhand Minerals (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2017 following due process of law and not otherwise.
Under the order of the National Green Tribunal mining from sand ghats is prohibited during the monsoon period and only sand dump registration holders are lawfully allowed to transport and supply sand collected prior to monsoon.
Pankaj Yadav said he had requested the ACB to lodge an FIR against K. Srinivasan, deputy director of mines (Palamu), and Shankar Kumar Sinha who was director of mines and administrator of JSMDC.
“As such, the market price of sand during monsoon is high and hence the collection of bribery is also high and relatively easy during this time. There are approximately 22 working sand dumps in Palamu, 12 working sand dumps in Garhwa, and four working sand dumps in Latehar.
He alleged that following the order transportation of sand was allowed after payment of bribes collected by Rajesh Kumar Pandey who gave bribes to his seniors. He demanded an FIR against Rajesh Kumar Pandey and the then Shankar Kumar Sinha Director of mines.
“In fact, the posting of Rajesh Kumar Pandey and Shankar Kumar Sinha to their respective positions was illegal as they were posted by an order of K. Srinivasan, not by the Jharkhand government,” he said.
