VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, June 3: Amid the illegal mining probe by the Enforcement Directorate, many officials of the district mining officer rank feel frustrated as if the district mining officials are the root cause of all the evils.
“A section of the mining officers may be indulged in illegal mining and they should be tried for the crime. But perception is being built that only district mining officials are responsible for the wrongdoings,” said the mining officer of a district.
During the investigation, the ED so far summoned the mining officers of Sahibganj, Dumka, Pakur, Ranchi, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, Khunti, and Saraikela- Kharsawan. The three districts of Santhal Pargana are under the scanner of the ED and the district mining officer of the concerned districts has been questioned extensively.
Under section 54 of the Jharkhand Minor Mineral Concession Rules 2007, the circle officers and Sub Divisional Officers are empowered to take action against illegal mining and transportation therein.
A retired official of the mining department welcomed the probe by the ED. “Illegal mining has been taking place in Jharkhand for the past many decades. Hopefully, the action by the ED will expose and smash mining mafias. But the investigative agencies must not ignore the responsibility of the district magistrate who under the concession rules is the supreme authority in the district. The role of local police must be investigated. Illegal mining in Jharkhand is the minefield of money laundering and these DMOs are small fishes,” said the former mining official.
Other than provisions of the Concession Rules, there is a standing order of the Jharkhand government that DC and SP of the concerned district will be held responsible if the complaints of illegal mining are reported from their districts.
Stone crushers running without ‘no pollution clearance’ and other licenses are considered a part of illegal mining. “In a matter like this, the power is vested in the regional officer of the pollution control and the SDO to take action. The DMO is not even notified as a competent authority to act,” said the mining officer of another district.
Another DMO said that DMOs are part of a well-laid check and balance system as explained in the Jharkhand Minor Mineral Concession Rules. “There are high-ups who control and monitor the actions of DMOs. Nobody even bothers to investigate the role and responsibility of other officials and this is the irony that we have been facing. We are dubbed as a black sheep but nobody bothers to catch white color. Some readily fall in line because they are corrupt; some are forced to commit illegality whereas some quit or stay neutral,” said another mining officer.
