Buckling under pressure from the uproar by the BJP members, the Hemant Soren Government on Tuesday agreed to discuss sand auctioning issue on the floor of House on Wednesday.
The special debate would take place in the second half of the proceeding that is expected to clear air around the contentious issue that brought all political parties to oppose the auction route for sand ghats.
The Government later rectified the decision at a Cabinet meeting a few days back, saying the panchayat bodies will get back rights over public sale of sand in the State. However, a rider remained in the cabinet resolution that the auction of the ghats which have already taken place will be cancelled only after taking legal opinion from the Advocate General. In case, the legal opinion prohibits the Government from cancelling the auction decided in favour of a Mumbai-based company, the panchayats will not any rights whatsoever in such districts where the sand ghats stand auctioned.
Soon after the day started on Tuesday members of the principal Opposition party started sloganeering and later sat on dharna in the well of the House. The members were demanding for a clear position of the Government on sand auctioning issue. The party blamed that despite the decision to hand over auctioning right of sand to Gram Sabhas there is no impact on ground and trade of the minor mineral has completely been hampered throughout the State.
Unable to tame the protest and din Speaker Shashank Shekhar Bhokta adjourned the House that could resume only after 11.40 am. This came with an assurance that a special debate would take place on the issue. Even Bandhu Tirkey, who is extending outside support to the Hemant Soren Government, told reporters outside that confusion
was prevailing.
“The sand issue was not on the agenda of the said Cabinet and no note had been circulated to the Ministers. Government should clear its stand over this,” said Tirkey. Nevertheless,Rural Development Minister Chandrashekhar Dubey, who has been vocal for handing over the right to the rural elected bodies, reiterated that the Cabinet had taken a clear decision and there was no going back on this.
“I have been against any such decision from the beginning. Sand auctioning does not take place under any rule. I had told the CM with all humility and made him understand that it is illegal. He accepted and the Cabinet has also taken the decision. It is final that Gram Sabha would get the right,” said Dubey.
later replying to several other attempts to seek an answer on sand from the Government, Finance Minister Rajendra Singh made it clear that only panchayats would play a role into this.