Patna, June 8: A constable in the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has been caught running a stone quarrying unit in Rohtas.
A magisterial probe conducted by Rohtas district magistrate (DM) Sandeep Kumar R. Pudakalkatti caught Akhilesh Singh on the wrong foot on three counts — running a mining quarry while being in a government job, quarrying mines on a cancelled licence and giving a power of attorney to his relative, illegally.
During a preliminary probe, the DM found that one of the illegal units — Jai Maa Kali Stone Chips — was owned by Singh, a resident of Amra village under jurisdiction of Sasaram police station. Pudakalkatti was taken aback when the investigating officer told him that Singh was posted as a constable in the RPF at Sasaram railway station. Sources said Singh was served a showcause notice by a senior deputy collector, who was holding the charge of assistant director of the mines and geology department in Rohtas on May 31. Singh was asked to reply to the notice within a week failing which legal action would be initiated. “You have been in the government job (RPF) despite the fact you owned a licence of a stone quarrying unit. It is believed that you have concealed the fact ...,” the letter issued by the deputy collector said.
When contacted, Singh said he had applied for the mining unit when he was unemployed. “I got a job in the RPF in 2005 and was posted in Samastipur where I served for around six years. Later, I was transferred to Sasaram,” he told The Telegraph over phone from Sasaram.
He claimed that he had transferred the power of attorney of the mining unit in the name of his brother Mithilesh Singh after he joined the RPF. He, however, kept mum when told it was illegal to transfer the power of attorney of the licence.
In 2003, he was an unemployed youth looking for a job. He had applied for a mining licence in Rohtas on June 20 that year, which was granted to Singh for mining in the Karwandia forest area in the same year. He earned a good profit and continued stone quarrying there till 2012. RPF inspector B.K. Singh said he has already submitted his report to the commandant. “The documents have been sent to the commandant of the force for his perusal and necessary action,” he said.
RPF commandant (Mughalsarai) Ajit Kumar Barnawal said a detailed probe has already been ordered and action would be initiated against the constable on the basis of the report. “The report is awaited,” he said.
When Pudakalkatti took charge as Rohtas DM in January 2013, he launched a three-day drive against illegal stone quarrying and cancelled licences of 194 units.
The DM was surprised to know that the practice continued unabated in some parts of the district despite a ban imposed by the state government last year.
Rohtas mines officer Zeyaur Rehman said 135 licences for mining were allotted in 2003. In 2007, 165 licences were issued in the district. “The licence is primarily given for seven years and thereafter it is renewed,” he said.
