VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, April 27: The Jharkhand government has sent the report to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the allegation that Dumka MLA Basant Soren is the partner in the mining firm Grands Mining Works LLP.
“The report has been sent to the ECI as directed,” top sources in the government confided.
Basant Soren is the JMM MLA and the younger brother of Chief Minister Hemant Soren who is facing a similar allegation of misusing his office to obtain mining rights. The government has already sent a report to the EC regarding the chief minister.
Notably, the ECI in its April 8th letter to Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh had directed the government to submit documents like the application, lease deed, minor mineral concession rules, lease agreement, and any other annexures to the documents related to the mining lease granted to Hemant Soren. The ECI also directed the government to submit a report related to Basant Soren.
The ECI took up the matter after the BJP alleged that Basant Soren as an MLA continued private business and he used his influence to obtain mining and other business rights. Based on the documents the ECI in the light of the Indian Constitution wants to examine whether such business comes under the definition of the office of profit. And, whether such public servants are liable to be disqualified as a member of the assembly under Article 192 of the Constitution.
Grands Mining Works is a Limited Liability Partnership firm incorporated on 17 February 2015. It is registered at the Registrar of Companies, Jharkhand. Designated Partners of Grands Mining Works LLP are Basant Soren, Narendra Singh, Suresh Kundlikrao Nagre and Bhupendra Kumar Singh.
The company is based in Bokaro. Basant Soren is also a partner in two other companies namely Maa Bhadrakali Alloys Pvt Ltd and Accent Minmet Resources Private Limited.
Nevertheless, Basant Soren in his 2016 Rajya Sabha election affidavit had mentioned having invested in Grands Mining Works LLP and Maa Bhadrakali Alloys Pvt Ltd.
Now, the BJP opposition baying for the blood of both brothers claimed that Basant Soren runs several companies and he has obtained mining rights by misusing his office.
