Jharkhand govt forms panel to probe role of railway officials in illegal transport of minerals

RANCHI: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday wrote to railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav informing him about his government’s decision to institute a high-level probe team to look into the role of railway officials in the alleged illegal transportation of minerals from the state without valid documents.

In his communication, the chief minister underlined that the state government in the past has raised the issue with the ministry on several occasions but the public transporter has failed to cooperate in the effort to check illegal transportation.

The development comes amid the ongoing probe of the directorate of enforcement (ED) against alleged illegal mining scam in the state. While Soren’s close political aide Pankaj Mishra is in jail in connection with the case, the federal agency had also questioned the chief minister in connection with it last month. In his communication, Soren has also referred to transport of stone chips from Sahebganj through railways without valid challans.

The chief minister said that despite several requests, including one by him in person at a meeting, the railways has not integrated its software with the state government’s Jharkhand Integrated Mines and Minerals Managment System (JIMMMS) meant for online management of transportation. The platform is used to issue e-challans, online permits, and online payments.

“…It is clear that railway officials have connivance in illegal transport of minerals in Jharkhand. And the FIOS system of the railways is not being integrated with the state government’s online monitoring system JIMMMS as part of a conspiracy to transport minerals without valid challans or fake challans. In that context it has been decided to form a high-level committee to probe the role of railway officials in illegal mining and illegal transport of minerals,” Soren said in his letter.

The chief minister further said that the railways would cooperate fully with the probe team in its investigation. He also urged the minister to get the railway software integrated with JIMMMS at the earliest to check illegal transport further.