SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 11: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) New Delhi has sought a report from the Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner (DC) over the death of a minor girl during alleged illegal mining in closed mines in the Mahuda area of the district.
The NCPCR has served notice on the complaint of Dhanbad resident Pradeep Pandey and has directed the DC to send the report in 10 days after receiving the letter about the incident and Action Taken Report (ATR).
The complainant has alleged that minor girls are being used for illegal mining in the collieries of Dhanbad and the death of the girl in Mahuda closed mines of BCCL is the result of it.
On Tuesday (February 8), a villager of Jamdiha named Binod Mahto and 13-year-old Roshni Kumari died under the debris while collecting coal ash and clay in Lohapatti Colliery of Mahuda when a large chunk of land caved in on them.
However, the district administration denied any casualty in the incident. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanjiv Kumar said that only two persons were reportedly injured in the incident and no one died.
Even on Thursday, the deputy superintendent Nisha Murmu of Baghmara range, under which the Mahuda incident area falls, inspected the spot and visited the village of victims but did not confirm the tragedy.
The NCPCR in the letter has also asked the Dhanbad district commissioner to produce the injured girl before the Child Welfare Committee and lodge an FIR against the guilty person under Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and Juvenile Justice Act.
Earlier on February 1, a minor girl along with four other villagers had died while picking coal in the Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) Nirsa block of the district.
