Acting on the scathing report submitted by Santhal Pargana’s Divisional Commissioner NK Mishra that got substantiated by Development Commissioner RS Poddar on irregularities at PANEM coal mines, the Government has initiated action against the officials named. Despite the step has been taken after Chief Minister Raghubar Das’ approval, none of those responsible persons have faced the music yet.
The report had revealed that irregularities were committed on land, revenue, transport, forest and commercial tax fronts. “We have gone a long way since then. Recommendation for taking action against the then DC and officials of the various departments was made based on the report that indicated about grave violations of the set procedures. Even the Chief Minister has approved the recommendation and we have forwarded it to the concerned departments for action against those responsible,” Mines Director SK Negi informed The Pioneer on Thursday.
PANEM, the mine operator for Pachwara Central coal block located at Pakur district, has been found wrong sides of the law for excessive and unaccounted mining, infringement of forest land, illegal mining and even on rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced due to mining activities.
Divisional Commissioner NK Mishra in his internal report exposed the irregularities. As the matter came in light, the Chief Minister had ordered an inquiry headed by the Development Commissioner that nailed PANEM for working in connivance of the then DC and with district officials relating to mining, revenue and forest departments.
A similar report had held the then Palamau DC responsible for the illegal diversion of deemed forest land for coal mining purpose at Kathautia in the tune of over 300 acre. The report had named the DC for having hand in glove and conspiring for some vested interest.
“We have got the Divisional Commissioner’s report and based on that it has been forwarded to the Personnel Department to initiate appropriate action. The matter is with them for months,” said a top official of land Revenue Department. Moreover, no answer came when repeated attempts to contact top officials of the Department were made.
While on preventive side, the State Government refused to grant fresh lease agreement to Punjab State Power Corporation limited, shareholder of PANEM and has got fresh land schedule for Kathautia but no curative action is in sight to cleanse the dirt in bureaucratic system and set examples for future.
“Today itself, we have got a new land schedule that demarcates forest, deemed forest and raiyati land at Kathutia. It also establishes that the diverted land in question was deemed forest land and the new company that has got the coal block would have to apply for its forest clearance with exact figures based on that. Whereas in the earlier case we (Mines Department) were kept (deliberately) in dark and pressure was built-up to grant mining lease as the land schedule was said to be missing,” said Negi, who expressed ignorance about the befitting action against those responsible for running amok.