Decision follows meeting with coalition partners who threatened to withdraw support
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant
Soren on Thursday announced that the right of panchayats to allow sand
mining would be restored after the coalition partner of the government,
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), threatened to withdraw support.
Soren took the decision to change the mining policy after a meeting with the ministers of ally parties, RJD and Congress.
In a press conference, Soren said that the existing sand mining
policy was not only opposed by the various political parties but also by
Jharkhand Trucker’s Association and various trade bodies. “We will
restore the rights of panchayat and also ensure its implementation,” he
said.
The state had drafted a village-friendly sand mining policy in 2001.
It had given tax waiver and no licence was required for sand mining. In
2011, the government amended the state's minor mineral concession rules
of 2004 and the amended rules of 2007 to give more benefit to
panchayats. According to the amendment, panchayats had sole right to
auction sand mining leases to contractors and use the money realised for
development work. During the President’s rule earlier this year, a new
rule was formulated under which state government was to auction sand
mining rights to the highest bidder.
As a result, local contractors started losing auction bids. A vast
share of sand auctioning was clinched by contractors from outside the
state.
Irate over the exploitation of state resources and labour issues,
Jharkhand Trucker’s Association went on indefinite strike for over a
month in November. The strike nearly stalled ongoing construction work
and cost of construction in the state spiralled.
The issue of sand mining from river banks became a burning issue
during the ongoing winter session of the Assembly. While Soren’s ruling
coalition partner RJD threatened to withdraw support, the opposition
staged walkouts from the Legislative Assembly.
State water resources minister, Annapurna Devi of RJD, expressed
happiness over the amendment in sand mining policy. “Panchayats have won
back their rights,” she said.
Leaders of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) are not satisfied with the
chief minister’s announcement. They said that decision and announcement
have no substance. “Soren has made no comments on what will happen to
leases already auctioned to contractors from outside the state. Will the
government scrap the auction or take some alternative course of
action?” they questioned.
