Ranchi: Days after the arrest of Jharkhand mining secretary (now suspended) Pooja Singhal by the enforcement directorate (ED) for being allegedly involved in the multi-crore MGNREGA scam and shady mine allotment deals, the BJP on Sunday levelled allegations against another IAS officer of misusing position by alloting mining deals to his relatives during chief minister Hemant Soren’s regime.
Launching a direct attack on Palamu deputy commissioner (DC) Sashi Ranjan, state BJP president Deepak Prakash said Ranjan misused his official position to allot stone quarrying and sand mines to his relatives.
Citing documents on the mining agreement with Maa Vindhyavasini Stone Firm and M/s Prime Stone, Prakash claimed that they are owned by the people of Bihar and relatives of the deputy commissioner.
“I accuse the Palamu DC with full responsibility of allotting mines to his relatives using his official position. Officials like him get emboldened when illegal mining business is being done under the patronage of the Hemant Soren government. Following the arrest of the IAS officer, murky deals are slowly coming out in the open. The ED probe has reportedly revealed the role of district mining officials. The BJP will not remain silent till every tainted ‘neta’ and official is behind bars,” he said.
The state BJP president said, “The Maa Vindhyavasini Stone Firm was provided with the permit for stone quarrying on 4.17 acre land in Shahpur mauza under Naudiha police station in Palamu few months ago. The permit was allotted to one Ms Anjani Chaurasiya, a resident of Bauxar in Bihar. The DC must explain who is this lady? And, is she not related to the DC’s in-laws?”
Prakash also accused that the owner of M/s Prime Stone Sneha Kumari, a resident of Munger, is also related to the DC.
“For lease agreement of minor minerals, the deputy commissioner has the power to allot them. In this case, he chose to allot them to his relatives, which is a blatant misuse of his authority. But, we aren’t surprised as when the CM can allot himself a mine, why will officials shy from doing so?” he stated.
Prakash has also accused the contractual official of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC), Ashok Kumar, of allotting an 8.47acre sand mine in the name of his wife Rekha Sharma in Chinia block of Garhwa district.
“These are in government records,” the BJP president said, adding that Ashok Kumar happens to be a confidante of former mining secretary Pooja Singhal, who was also the MD of JSMDC.
“We appeal to the ED and other central agencies to extend the ambit of the ongoing probe against Singhal to uncover the deeper muck of illegal mining trade in the state,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Palamu DC didn’t respond to calls from TOI despite repeated attempts.
Launching a direct attack on Palamu deputy commissioner (DC) Sashi Ranjan, state BJP president Deepak Prakash said Ranjan misused his official position to allot stone quarrying and sand mines to his relatives.
Citing documents on the mining agreement with Maa Vindhyavasini Stone Firm and M/s Prime Stone, Prakash claimed that they are owned by the people of Bihar and relatives of the deputy commissioner.
“I accuse the Palamu DC with full responsibility of allotting mines to his relatives using his official position. Officials like him get emboldened when illegal mining business is being done under the patronage of the Hemant Soren government. Following the arrest of the IAS officer, murky deals are slowly coming out in the open. The ED probe has reportedly revealed the role of district mining officials. The BJP will not remain silent till every tainted ‘neta’ and official is behind bars,” he said.
The state BJP president said, “The Maa Vindhyavasini Stone Firm was provided with the permit for stone quarrying on 4.17 acre land in Shahpur mauza under Naudiha police station in Palamu few months ago. The permit was allotted to one Ms Anjani Chaurasiya, a resident of Bauxar in Bihar. The DC must explain who is this lady? And, is she not related to the DC’s in-laws?”
Prakash also accused that the owner of M/s Prime Stone Sneha Kumari, a resident of Munger, is also related to the DC.
“For lease agreement of minor minerals, the deputy commissioner has the power to allot them. In this case, he chose to allot them to his relatives, which is a blatant misuse of his authority. But, we aren’t surprised as when the CM can allot himself a mine, why will officials shy from doing so?” he stated.
Prakash has also accused the contractual official of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC), Ashok Kumar, of allotting an 8.47acre sand mine in the name of his wife Rekha Sharma in Chinia block of Garhwa district.
“These are in government records,” the BJP president said, adding that Ashok Kumar happens to be a confidante of former mining secretary Pooja Singhal, who was also the MD of JSMDC.
“We appeal to the ED and other central agencies to extend the ambit of the ongoing probe against Singhal to uncover the deeper muck of illegal mining trade in the state,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Palamu DC didn’t respond to calls from TOI despite repeated attempts.