In order to check rampant illegal mining of coal, at least 40 check-posts are being created by Central Coalfields limited (CCl) at all exit points of the coal areas located in the State.
State police, on the other hand, have also taken stern steps to curb illegal mining in the coal bearing districts in pursuance of the directive issued by Chief Minister Raghubar Das to the State administration to rein in the menace.
The coal companies as well as the State government was alerted over the reports of illegal coal mining taking place in various districts of Jharkhand amid allegations of connivance of coal mafias with public representatives, district officials and the police. Justice MB Shah Commission, appointed to probe into illegal iron and manganese ore mining, reported last year that illegal mining worth over Rs22,000 crore was being done in Jharkhand.
“As we are determined to stop illegal mining in the area, we have started increasing the manpower and the process of recruiting 500 more guards is on. Besides, as many as 40 check posts are being raised at all the exit points of the coal areas, so that the transportation of illegal coal could be checked,” said Chief of Security of CCl Shailendra Singh.
According to Singh, the plan was to stop the illegal coal reaching out to the national highways. “Once it reaches the national highways through state highways, it cannot be stopped. Since, we are short of manpower, we have also requested the State government to provide armed security force to man these check posts till an alternative arrangement was made,” said the official.
“The State Government has agreed to our proposal if we make payments to those guards,” claimed the official. “CISF personnel have already been deputed at Dhori-Kargali and Piparwar-Dakra mines in Jharkhand,” he added.
FIRs are also being lodged with the local police in case the illegal minors are spotted by the patrolling parties or static guards in their areas. “Round the clock patrolling is being done by our patrolling parties which also take action against them as and when required,” the official added.
Another official, however, claimed that it was impossible to carry on illegal mining in any area without a connivance with the district police. “Although law and order was a state subject, primarily it is the responsibility of the State administration to take necessary deterrent action to stop illegal mining of coal,” he said.
Furthermore, the process of installing Global Positioning System (GPS) in the coal laden trucks has already been started and is expected to be completed soon. “The routes followed by the coal laden trucks for reaching to their destination could be easily located through the GPS system enabling the coal companies or the transporter to monitor them easily,” said the official. Monitoring of trucks itself will reduce the chances of coal smuggling, he added.
Referring to loads of illegally mined coals taken on thousands of bicycles to the state capital daily for selling them in the open market, the official said that a human approach needs to be taken in this regard as it was a matter of bread and butter for thousands of families who are dependent on them. They also claimed that preventing those people from the practice will hamper production of coal, as they will indulge themselves in other illegal activities like pilfering iron or steel wires to earn bread and butter for their families.
State police, on the other hand, have also started drives in the coal districts to check illegal mining. “large scale curtailment has already been achieved while the process of checking the small scale mining is being done,” said Hazaribagh SP Akhilesh Jha. Extensive raids are being carried out in the vulnerable areas as and when we get inputs from the CCl, added Jha.
The SP, however, said that it needs a comprehensive effort from everyone, be it the forest or revenue department, district administration, police or the mining company, all need to work together to check illegal mining in any area. “We have identified at least 20 such incidents and registered cases at various police stations in the last few weeks,” said the SP. Currently, out of 12 coal areas in the state, there are 58 functional collieries located in Jharkhand.