The State Cabinet on Thursday failed to resolve the controversy over the twin issues affecting supply of sand — the first being the auction route — to allow quarrying of sand and the other being the mandatory provision of getting environmental clearance for the job.
The issue was raised by a few Ministers in the cabinet meeting and Mines Secretary DK Tiwari explained the legal provisions involving the issue to the Ministers. However, the Government failed woefully short of finding a concrete solution to the problem which has brought several politicians together. Cabinet Secretary JB Tubid said that though the issue was discussed, but no decision was taken at the meeting.
Openly opposing the Government stand on the issue, Congress MlA and Panchayati Raj Minister Dadai Dubey reiterated his stand on sand quarrying. "It was decided in the cabinet that a solution will be found in next 15 days," said Dubey in an interaction with media after the Cabinet's meeting. The Government has been at the centre of criticism for bypassing gram sabha which has been mandated under Panchayat Extension to Schedule Area Act to provide recommendation on the auctioning of balu-ghats. The government's move had evoked wide spread protest from the members of the gram-sabha thus forcing the government to suspend auctioning process briefly.
Ironically, while the issue has snowballed in a major controversy, companies which have been awarded quarrying license have adopted a lame duck attitude and seem least concerned about moving in the direction of sand mining as per the established norms. Notably, norm stipulates that the mining companies must obtain environmental clearance from State level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) of Jharkhand before launching their operations in their respective areas. However, to the chagrin of end users, none of the companies have applied for environmental clearance.
Member of the SEIAA board U R Biswas confided, "No company has approached us for obtaining environmental clearance for sand quarrying."Incidentally, the clearance is granted under Environment Pollution Notification of 2004 and after recommendation from the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC). The entire process takes two months' time.
"Normally within a month from the date of application we send the proposal to SEAC which conducts an impact assessment and reverts back with its recommendations. The process usually takes two months from the day application is made," pointed out Biswas.In an open bidding the State Government had awarded mining tenders to three Mumbai based companies- The Mills Store Company Mumbai Pvt ltd, Mahavir Infra Pvt ltd and Meridian Realtors Pvt ltd. The companies were awarded mining lease in three districts.