In a major of loss of face for the Hemant Soren Government, the State Cabinet on Thursday decided to cancel the tenders awarded for quarrying sand to a Mumbai-based company and hand over the quarrying rights back to panchayat bodies in purusuance of the 2004 rules.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who has been firm on shoring up the revenue by auctioning the sand ghats in view of the 2011 rules, succumbed to the pressure of the coalition partners as well as the Opposition. The alliance partners, including RJD and Congress, had made it a big issue and even threatened to pull down the Government.
“The rights for quarrying of sand were given back to the panchayats and the tenders which have been awarded will be cancelled according to the rules,” said Cabinet Secretary JB Tubid. A total of 18 proposals of Government were passed in the Cabinet, he added.
Put on the back foot by his partners on sand issue, the Chief Minister, however, tried to present a pro-people face of his Government after the Cabinet cleared the bill providing Dhoti and Saree at Rs 10 each for the families registered under the BPl categories.
The Cabinet gave its nod to its much ambitious proposal - Sona Sobran Dhoti-Saree Yojana where BPl families will be providing saree and dhoti at the cost of Rs 10 each, twice in a year. Over 35 lakh families will be benefitted by the scheme, which, incidentally had been mooted during the previous regime of Arjun Munda.
In another important decision taken by the Cabinet, it passed a proposal for the formation of 'State level Environment Impact Assessment Authority' for providing required environment clearance as per the recent guidelines given by the Supreme Court, for micro mining and brick making auctions.
“There is a provision charging a fee for the examination of the spot which will be paid by the applicant. It has been divided into different slots ranging between Rs 2,500 and Rs 50,000 according to the area of the land to be examined. An extra VAT of 5 per cent will be charged on the production of Bidi, milk products, solar cells and plastic footwear. The Government also made an increase of Rs 200 given to over 6 lakh pensioners in the State under various schemes of Central and State Governments.
Rs 10 lakh has been allotted by the Cabinet for construction of PCC roads in each gram panchayat under the scheme -- Mukhyamantri Gramin Path Yojana. The cabinet also decided to dismiss 33 doctors who were found to be absent from their jobs. These doctors, appointed in 2012, were posted at various health centres.
The Cabinet also cleared fund allotments for the construction of various roads in the State. Meanwhile, Water Resources Minister Annapurna Devi, expressing pleasure over the cabinet decision, said that the Government will pray to the Green Tribunal for granting time to take environmental clearance for quarrying of sand.