VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Dec. 16: The Narendra Modi government is set to conduct a survey of illegal mining in Jharkhand and the ministry of environment, forest and climate change will soon start the process.
The decision was taken in the wake of the report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate to the secretary of the union ministry Lina Nandan regarding widespread illegal mining in Jharkhand which badly damaged the ecology and the climate.
The ED is investigating the illegal stone mining scam in Jharkhand which is worth over Rs. 1000 crore. The agency so far has arrested and charge-sheeted Pankaj Mishra who is MLA representative of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren besides powerbroker Prem Prakash and a criminal Bacchu Yadav. The ED has also questioned Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his media advisor Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu. The ED is also set to file a prosecution complaint against IAS Pooja Singhal who as the secretary of the mining department is accused to have patronized stone mining mafias.
The ED, in the report, focused on Sahibganj has maintained that other than the general areas, illegal mining is being done in the forest and other prohibited areas. The illegal mining is being done in the garb of the mining lease and even without the lease. This has caused a huge loss of revenue to the state government and also severely affected the climate.
The ED has stated that the money laundering is done through illegal mining and transportation. The ED has also attached the report of the National Green Tribunal.
