VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, May 9: The money laundering probe against Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Pooja Singhal has exposed many anomalies in the mining department which she heads as secretary.
Notably, on April 8 the Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan had observed that “nothing is right in the mining department.”
Pooja is accused of having given patronage to one Ashok Kumar. She allegedly gave him important responsibilities in Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC) though he faced charges of corruption and an FIR was lodged against him. Pooja Singhal is the managing director of the JSMDC.
Ashok Kumar was initially appointed on a contract basis to the post of Project Officer of Garhwa district of JSMDC. He was promoted as a Sand-in charge-cum-Coal-in charge cum Establishment officer. It is despite the fact that his appointment was purely on a temporary basis and his contract lapsed in 2017. JSMDC is a public sector company and a contractual employee cannot be inducted into the permanent post and get promoted although his service itself is contractual.
Ashok Kumar was booked under sections 420, 379 and 411 of IPC and section 54 of JMMC Rule in Ketar PS Case No. 04/2019 in Garhwa district. The FIR was registered as he was allegedly involved in forging a single used challan multiple times. But despite that, he was promoted and given important responsibilities. A PIL was filed at Jharkhand High Court in March this year where the petitioner Arup Kumar requested the court to order an inquiry regarding his appointment and anomalies in the JSMDC.
However, an FIR did not prove a deterrence to Ashok Kumar to commit illegalities. The petitioner said that in January this year he gave the order for deploying heavy vehicles and excavation machines at Raniganj sands ghat in the Deoghar district. He gave work orders to one Abdullah by removing contractor Shivam Dheer whose contract had not lapsed. As per the JSMDC rule, the use of excavation machines is prohibited during the mining of sand. The petitioner stated that he is involved in a similar act and he issues work orders of sand and coal mining to people close to him and he is involved in table tender. The petitioner said that he enjoys the patronage of senior officials since he knows fund collection in an illegal manner.
When contacted Ashok Kumar denied the allegations. “I was appointed on a contractual basis in 2008 and in 2015 my service was regularized. But the government rejected my regularization after which I approached the court. The matter is still pending. As far as the FIR is concerned there is no direct allegation against me,” he said.
