RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, May 13: If the Jharkhand High Court today took exception to the issue of filing an affidavit by the Ranchi deputy commissioner in the matter of the issuance of a mining lease in the name of the chief minister, senior bureaucrats are responsible for the same.
This was reflected in a letter issued by the mining department on May 4. Through the letter, Mines Director Amit Kumar authorised Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan to file a counter affidavit in the PIL filed by Shiv Shankar Sharma.
The copy of the letter is available with lagatar24.com.
Asked a mines department official regarding the authorisation to a deputy commissioner in a serious matter of public interest, he said it was given as the matter was related to a mining lease in Angara, which is located in Ranchi district.
The high court had verbally observed that it had expected some responsible officer of the mining department to file an affidavit in the matter but the deputy commissioner has filed an affidavit and questioned how come Ranchi DC has information of the mining department. The court verbally also observed that cases of illegal mining often come to its knowledge.
In the PIL it has been alleged that Chief Minister Hemant Soren misused his official position to procure a lease of land from the mining department in Angara block. In the PIL it has been mentioned that the matter is serious as the chief minister is also in-charge of the mining department.
