RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, May 18: Former district mining Officer Satyajit Kumar has become conspicuous by his absence at the time when a lease granted by him in the name of Chief Minister Hemant Soren has become an issue and the Election Commission has taken cognizance of it.
A tweet by Godda MP Nishikant Dubey demanding a probe into his conspicuous absence supports the situation.
“According to information, mining officer Satyajit Kumar, who approved the mining lease in the name of Chief Minister, has resigned from the job and has disappeared. If this is true then the ED, Jharkhand Police, and Income Tax should investigate,” the tweet read.
Mining department officials in Ranchi failed to give any conclusive information on the matter.
“He had resigned. I cannot say where he is now,” an official sharing his number, 7783065220, said.
When attempted to contact Kumar on this number it was found switched off. A retired mining department official said: “Apparently he left for his native village in Begusarai after keeping his mobile phone switched off after the mining lease controversy.”
Another official said it was difficult to say anything about him as he is very intelligent. “He is a very intelligent officer. He had joined as DMO after quitting his job in a central PSU. I have heard that he submitted his resignation to the Jharkhand government in April 2021. Till August, he waited for his resignation to be accepted and remained in the post of DMO of Ranchi. When his resignation was not accepted, he stopped coming to the office since August. But when his resignation remained unaccepted he finally withdrew it on May 6 2022,” the official said.
“I have heard that after withdrawing his resignation, he joined the mining department. Now, before he was to be posted, the notification for the Panchayat elections was issued. He is still waiting for posting due to the implementation of the code of conduct in the state. While waiting for his resignation to be accepted he allotted the stone quarry lease of Soren on June 16, 2021. Full approval was given on July 10, 2021,” the official said.
Mines director Amit Kumar expressed his inability to comment on the matter. “The Secretary used to be their appointing authority and only the office of the secretary will be in a position to share any details in the matter,” he said. Officials at the secretariat remained tightlipped when attempted to contact them.
A secretariat official said the under-secretary of the department, Bal Kishun Munda, will be able to tell anything in the matter. When contacted Munda, he took strong exception to the query. He refused to talk about the matter saying “Hum Thode Na Yaha Apko Batane Ke Liye Baithe Hai. Aap Bahar se Pata Kijiye,” he said.
