Former CM Alleges Large-scale Coal Loot in Dhanbad, Bokaro and Other Districts
Key Points:
- Raghubar Das accuses JMM of misleading public over MMDR mining law
- Alleges only four of 34 approved coal blocks operational in Jharkhand
- Claims DMF fund irregularities in Dhanbad, Chaibasa and Chatra districts
RANCHI – Political tensions have intensified in Jharkhand over the Mineral and Mining Development Regulation, or MMDR, law. While the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has announced an agitation against the law, the BJP has described the opposition as an attempt to mislead the public. Former chief minister Raghubar Das launched a sharp attack on the Hemant Soren government during a press conference held at the BJP state office.
Das said the MMDR law brought by the central government serves the interest of both the state and the nation, but the JMM is misrepresenting it in an attempt to gain political mileage. He alleged that large-scale looting of coal is taking place in districts such as Dhanbad, Bokaro, Chatra, Hazaribagh and Ramgarh. According to him, the government that spoke of water, forest and land during elections has, after coming to power, handed these resources over to a syndicate, turning Jharkhand into what he called “Lootkhand.”
The former chief minister said several JMM leaders and ministers face allegations of corruption and illegal mining, and some have even gone to jail. He described this as evidence of corruption spread across the state.
On the question of investment, Das targeted the government further. He said Chief Minister Hemant Soren has claimed to attract investment from within the country and abroad, but no major results are visible on the ground. He alleged that investors are avoiding Jharkhand because of the corruption and illegal mining prevalent in the state.
He said nearly 90 percent of the royalty earned from mining goes to the state government, yet the government continues to blame the Centre despite this. He also claimed that only four of the 34 coal blocks approved in the state have started operations, while several blocks of iron ore and bauxite have also not been properly operationalised.
Alleging irregularities in the District Mineral Foundation, or DMF, fund, Das said the fund had been misused in districts such as Dhanbad, Chaibasa and Chatra. He alleged that people in mining-affected areas are not even getting basic facilities such as clean drinking water.
The former chief minister said that because of the state government’s policies and rising cess, the prices of coal and iron ore have become higher in Jharkhand than in neighbouring states Odisha and Chhattisgarh. This, he said, is affecting industries and weakening the state’s competitive capacity.
Raising a question, Das asked the Hemant government to specify which tribal and indigenous family has seen genuine improvement in its condition over the past six years. He alleged that people connected to those in power and bureaucrats have benefited more than ordinary citizens.
He said the state government is attempting to mislead the public over the MMDR issue while diverting attention from the real problems.
The row comes even as the state’s political landscape remains occupied with other disputes; the Congress has separately protested against the mineral bill, while the JMM has held its own protests over the mining and minerals act in recent days.
