RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, May 12: Two days after the JMM expressed concern over the silence of former BJP national vice president and former chief minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das amid the enforcement directorate action against 2000 batch IAS officer Pooja Singhal, Das dared Chief Minister Hemant Soren for an open debate on the issue of tribal development.
Das said let the people decide what the BJP has done for tribal people and what Hemant Soren, who got the opportunity to become chief minister twice, has done for the tribal development. He said the proper time for the debate will be at least 15 days after the declaration of the Panchayat election and Morhabadi ground will be a proper venue for the same.
Earlier, Das alleged chief minister Soren of being corrupt explaining how Soren procured land for her wife Kalpana Murmu Soren in violation of the CNT Act.
Das said the better half of Hemant Soren purchased two plots of area respectively 17 katha 8 chatak and 13 katha 14 chatak at Harmu executing two sale deeds respectively on February 7 and March 9 in the year 2009. While purchasing the land she instead named her husband the name of her father.
Kalpana Soren, Das said, mentioned the address as Harmu Housing Colony and mentioned Argora as the police station though she is from Odisha and has no tribal status in Jharkhand. According to Das, under the CNT Act land deals could be transacted between two tribal persons if they belong to the same police station area.
Das said that she bought the land at a price much less than the government rate. According to the government rate, the price of the first plot (17katha 8 chatak) should be Rs 44 lakh but she paid only Rs 5.25 lakh. Similarly, the price of the second plot (13 katha 14 chatak) should be 34.93 lakh but she paid only Rs 4.16 lakh, Das added.
Mentioning the price, Das said the intention behind the purchase suggests that this is not only the case of violation of CNT Act but also money laundering as she purchased land of crores in just Rs 9.45 lakh.
Das said Kalpana Soren constructed a banquet hall using the land and when the matter came to his knowledge he ordered a probe but after Hemant Soren became chief minister he stopped the probe misusing his official position.
Das said this is not an isolated case, Soren and his family members have grabbed acres of tribal land across the State in violation of CNT Act.
Das said sister-in-law of Hemant Soren Sarla Murmu and wife Kalpana Soren run Sohrain Livestock Private Limited. Apart from this, Das said, they also run Raktpur Private Limited and Bihangam Developers Private Limited.
All these transactions are a crime under section 19(A) and 13(2) of under Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and various sections of Indian Penal Act and People’s Representation Act, he said and added that a party delegation will meet Governor Ramesh Bais to inform him about the irregularities and to seek his intervention in this matter.
Asked regarding the clean chit given to present ED accused Pooja Singhal during his tenure, Das said evidence was not found against her during departmental proceedings and thus she was given a clean chit in departmental proceedings but criminal proceedings continued and the ED raid is its outcome.
Asked about the JMM’s allegation on protecting a corrupt IAS officer, Das said: “All files are at the disposal of the government and nobody has restrained it from taking action. If the government has guts, let it recommend a CBI probe into the matter.”
Das during the press conference said that the JMM has two factions, one led by JMM supermo Shibu Soren, who is real leader while another led by Hemant Soren and that faction could be named JMM (Hemant), where JMM stands not for Jharkhand Mukti Morcha but Jharkhand Mudra Mochan.
