SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 19: The Pakur district mining department has imposed fines of over Rs 7.50 crores on three companies for dispatching stone to other states through goods trains without obtaining proper transporting Chalan.
District Mining Officer (DMO) Pradeep Kumar Sah informed the media that a notice had been served to six companies but after the initial probe of the allegation, three companies were found guilty of illegal dispatching.
Stones were sent from Malpahadi railway siding of Pakur and the axe is likely to fall on several railway siding officers and staff who are believed to be involved in the racket. The DMO has sought reports from the Chief Yard Master (CYM) and Godown superintendent about illegal loading and transporting of stones.
An official of the mining department said that during the investigation it was detected that the concerned officers of the railway siding issued a railway receipt for carrying stones without transporting Chalan of the mining department.
Three companies that have been fined are Otan Das and Company (Rs 3.87 crores), NSS And Company (Rs 2.65 crores ) and Stone India Company ( Rs 1.20 crores). DMO Pradeep Kumar Sah said all these companies have been asked to deposit the fine in two weeks from the date of the notice.
It is alleged that these companies had dispatched around 30 lakh CFT stones to Bihar in August last year in connivance with railway siding officials and staff. The mining department has to incur a revenue loss of several crores from this illegal stone dispatching scam.
