VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, July 14: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday slammed the Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC) for starting the process of selecting sand mining operators across Jharkhand despite a stay order passed by the NGT on May 13.
The bench of Justice B. Amit Sthalekar and Saibal Dasgupta (Expert) of NGT warned JSMDC of punitive actions if NGT’s order was violated. NGT said that the JSMDC has to follow the interim order passed by NGT that “till the counter-affidavit is filed by the State Respondents, no sand mining leases shall be awarded in pursuance of the impugned Notice Inviting Expression of Interest dated 30.09.2021.” The state mining department is among the respondents in this case and the department has yet to file a counter reply.
NGT bench observed this while hearing a petition 54/2022/EZ filed by Bhumi Adhigrahan Visthapan Avam Punarvas Kisan Samiti. The lawyer of the petitioner informed the NGT that JSMDC deliberately violated the order and issued a letter to DC to select Mines Developer and Operators. The next hearing has been fixed for August 25.
The petitioner has alleged JSMDC for promoting cartelization in the name of empanelling some selecting companies for sand mining. The petitioner raised an objection over the Expression of Interest published by the JSMDC on September 30, last year.
During the hearing, NGT also rejected the counter affidavit filed by JSMDC sand in-charge Dharmendra Kumar Mehta. Referring to a Supreme Court order, the NGT bench said that an affidavit should be filed by an official who is not below the rank of deputy secretary.
As the matter is being heard, JSMDC which is a company owned by the state government issued a letter on July 5 asking DCs to complete the second phase of selection of the Mines Developers and Operators for Category B sand ghats. The letter was issued by the General Manager (Mining) JSMDC Uttam Kumar Biswas. JSMDC has made it mandatory for MDOs to ensure environmental and other necessary clearance from the concerned department and agencies which is a violation of the law.
On being contacted, Uttam Kumar Biswas said that he was not aware of today’s development at the NGT court.
