LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, March 22: The Malda division of Indian Railways is understood to have started an internal drive to update its records related to stone chips and boulders dispatched from different railway stations under the division during 2020-2022.
The decision was taken to update and correct the records in the wake of a sensational disclosure made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the charge-sheet related to Rs 1000 crore illegal stone mining scam.
The ED, in its chargesheet, had claimed that since 2020, as many as 3531 rakes were loaded with stone chips from several loading points in Sahibganj and adjoining areas without any mining challans. These illegal mining proceeds were transported illegally to different destinations without paying royalty to the state government.
In the wake of the disclosure of the ED, the Jharkhand government headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren also ordered an inquiry into the role of railway officials on whether or not they assisted in the illegal transportation of stone chips and boulders by not seeking mining chalan. The retired Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Vinod Kumar Gupta heads the Special Investigation Team which was constituted under Jharkhand Mineral (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules 2017.
Sources familiar with the development claimed that the railway has individually asked all such miners and transporters who had booked rakes during the year 2020 -2022, to provide relevant documents against booking made by them. They have been asked to provide a copy of the mining chalan against the booking.
Sahibganj DMO contradicts claim of ED
Notably, Sahibganj is under the scanner of ED as the maximum illegal mining took place there. The role of present District Mining Officer Bibhuti Kumar is also under scanner whom the ED has questioned on several occasions. Insiders of the mining department revealed that a couple of months back, Mining Secretary Aboobacker Siddique, during a review meeting, had sought an explanation from the DMO about the claim made by the ED regarding transportation through railways without mining challans. To this, DMO Bibhuti Kumar claimed that the finding of the ED was factually incorrect.
What ED chargesheet claims about transportation through rail without mining challans
The ED has claimed that since 2020, as many as 3531 rakes were loaded with stone chips from several loading points in Sahibganj and adjoining areas without any mining challans.
As per a rough estimate — even if it is considered as a case of theft of royalty — this has caused a loss of Rs. 155.71 crore to the state government. But the actual loss may be much higher as the charge sheet indicates these were illegally mined stone chips.
The ED so far has filed one chargesheet against Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s MLA representative Pankaj Mishra, powerbroker Prem Prakash and a local criminal Bacchu Yadav.
“The investigation in respect of the rakes loaded with stone chips from several railway loading points in Sahibganj and adjoining areas is in progress. Investigation as of day reveals that in the last two years i.e. since 2020, nearly 3531 rakes have been loaded with stone chips without mining challans and these mining proceeds have been transported illegally to different destinations without paying the royalty to the public exchequer,” the ED has stated.
The ED annexed the rake booking report provided by the Malda division of the Eastern Railway. The agency further recorded the statement of the Senior DCM of the Malda division who corroborated the findings of the agency. The ED has stated that stone chips were transported from Pirpainti (Bihar) and other railway stations in Sahibganj.
One rake generally consists of 42 wagons. One wagon can carry 42 cubic meters of stone chips and the entire rake can carry 1764 cubic meters of stone chips. Going by this calculation, a total of 6295773 cubic meters of stone chips were transported by 3531 rakes. The government charges Rs. 250 per cubic meter as royalty and Rs. 130 is charged for boulders.
Rules regarding mining and transportation
As per section 15 of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957 the state government is empowered to frame rules for regulating the grant of mining leases or other mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith. The holder of a mining lease or any other minerals concession granted under rules made by the State Government shall pay royalty at the rate prescribed for the time being in the rules so framed.
Further, as per the Jharkhand Mineral Transit Challan regulations, 2005 all dispatches of ores and minerals except those by aerial ropeway shall be accompanied by transit Challans. As per para 9 of The Jharkhand Minerals (Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage) Rules, 2017 no person shall transport or otherwise remove or carry away any mineral from any place without obtaining a transport challan duly generated through JIMMS.