VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, July 2: The Enforcement Directorate is said to have been inquiring into the allegation of whether or not the organized mining syndicate obstructed the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to tap the potential of the newly built multi-modal terminal (MMT) on the river Ganga.
The inquiry is said to be in the nascent stage, hence, nothing conclusive can be said at this stage. But it was said that despite a very categorical order of the court, waterway transporters having IWAI permits were not allowed leading to revenue loss to the government.
Built worth Rs 290 Crore, the foundation stone was laid on April 6, 2017, and it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 12, 2019. This was the second of the three Multimodal Terminals constructed on the river Ganga under the Jal Marg Vikas Project. Coincidently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Deoghar on July 12 to inaugurate the newly constructed airport in Deoghar.
During the probe of illegal mining in three districts of Santhal Pargana namely Sahibganj, Dumka, and Pakur it came to light that some inland waterway transporters having a stake in stone mining created troubles for other private transporters.
However, the assistant director of Sahibganj branch of IWAI, Sanjeeva Kumar was not willing to talk much about this issue. “L&T has not yet handed over the infrastructure. I can’t comment much about the operational matter because this is beyond my jurisdiction. To some waterway transporters, IWAI had granted a permit to operate on Ganga waterways but I don’t know what happened later on,” said Sanjeeva Kumar.
In 2020, IWAI granted permits to three companies to set up temporary facilities for the development and operation of Ro-Ro facilities in locations alongside the river Ganga namely Manihari and Baghmara in (Bihar), Manichak (Bengal), and many other places. These companies include Cambridge Constructions (Delhi) Limited, Adani Logistics Limited and Versels Shipping Services. But in June 2020, the transport department headed by K. Ravikumar issued an order to stop operations of all such vessels having IWAI permits.
The state government contended that such an act of the IWAI will cause revenue loss to the state government. Referring to Bengal Ferries Act 1895 the government said that only the state government reserves the right to allow ferry service on waterways. It further contended that it has allotted ferry service rights to a local transport committee through tender. It was further stated that IWAI has no jurisdiction over land alongside the river hence it can’t grant permission to any waterway transporter to set up temporary or permanent facilities.
But this contention of the state government was challenged before Jharkhand High Court by one Jai Bajrang Walee Transport. The said company secured a permit from IWAI. But the administration of Sahibganj and Katihar prohibited the company to ply its vessels. The division bench of Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad dismissed the contention of the state government and termed it a case of jurisdictional error.
In the order dated October 6, 2021, the court said that the transport department has no jurisdiction over the waterway, and the Bengal Ferries Act doesn’t give any exceptional power. But despite a categorical order of the court, the said company is unable to operate.
On being contacted a director rank official of IWAI said on the condition of anonymity that they did not find desired support from the state. “MMT in Sahibganj will open the avenue of economic growth of Jharkhand. But we were discouraged and troubles were created. We don’t know whose interest is getting affected. The matter is pending before the court,” said the official.
