M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Dec 27: Eleven stone mining leases have been cancelled /terminated by the deputy commissioner Palamu Anjaneyulu Dodde on Monday. The stone mining leases were in the Anchals of Paton, Naudeeha Bazaar, Sadar Medininagar, Chainpur, Chhaterpur and Harihurganj.
A press note issued by the public relation office read the cancellation/termination of the stone mining leases has been done following the breach of terms and conditions as laid in the contract by the stone mining dealers.
The breach is done in terms of penetration into areas beyond the leased area, excess mining and storage haphazard transportation, paying revenue erratically, improper blasting of hills and hillocks, mine pits open with water in it causing mishaps etc.
Sources said the 11 stone quarries (mining) stand cancelled rendering a large number of miners and other personnel jobless at each site. The conditions laid for non coal mining are strict but dealers of such lease flout or defy it in the same propensity.
Sources said such a number like this 11 cancellations/ terminations of the stone mining leases here in Palamu in just one day (December 26) has been the first of its kind. However, noises have been made that the district administration did not give equal opportunity to these 11 stone mining dealers to be heard properly.
Chief minister Hemant Soren was in Daltonganj on December 9 holding a review meeting of two districts Garhwa and Palamu wherein he had directed the DCs and other concerned offices to crack down against illegal mining. The East zone bench of the NGT (National Green Tribunal) had pulled up the then DC Palamu Shashi Ranjan for the alleged mining operation of the Dhajwa Pahar at Kutmu village under the Pandu Anchal.
Notably, stone mining has been a constant source of levy to the Naxals in Palamu who extract money from the dealers.
