RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, March 25: The vigilance team of Malda Railway Zone caught an overloaded coal rail rake going from Pakur to Punjab.
A source close in the railways said: “Primary investigation suggested that out of total 59 wagons, 44 wagons had coal more than 171 tonnes beyond their capacity. Railway is preparing to impose a fine of about Rs 46 lakh on it.”
The extra coal was unloaded at Sahibganj.
However, District mining officer of Sahibganj Bibhuti Kumar expressed his ignorance about the development saying that it is not concerned to his office and the state government.
“How can I say about the action taken by the railway? Apart from this, it was also not concerned with my district,” Kumar said.
Pankur district mining officer Pradeep Kumar Saha could not be contacted for his comment.
Notably, illegal mining has always been a matter of concern for the state. On March 1, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren exercising his power under section-3 of The Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 gave nod to formation of a special investigation team (SIT) under the chairmanship of former Jharkhand High Court chief justice V K Gupta to investigate and suggest ways to prevent the role of the railway officials in illegal transportation of minerals.
Earlier on December 14, 2022, he had written to the union railway minister informing about the government’s decision to set up a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the involvement of railway officials in illegal mining and its transportation and all other related points. Through a letter, the chief minister had urged the railway minister to direct the officials of the railways to fully cooperate with this high-level inquiry committee.
