Ranchi, Feb. 23: The Raghubar Das government today ordered probe into alleged irregularities in Jharia rehabilitation drive and illegal acquisition of disputed tribal land in Lohardaga.
BJP legislator Raj Sinha from Dhanbad brought a call attention motion in the first half of the Assembly session today and raked up the issue pertaining to Jharia Rehabilitation & Development Authority (JRDA), responsible for arranging safe accommodation for people living in underground fire-affected and subsidence-prone Jharia and its neighbouring localities.
Seeking government intervention, Sinha alleged large-scale irregularities in the tender and rehabilitation process.
"There should be an inquiry into the work being done by JRDA as far as the rehabilitation of people of fire-affected Jharia is concerned. Many displaced have not got houses as yet. This apart, the quality of construction in colonies built for fire-hit people is not good," he added.
Sinha was seconded by another BJP MLA Sanjeev Singh from Jharia.
"The houses in Belgharia and other colonies have been built in violation of basic safety norms and without maintaining the quality of construction. Even a push can flatten the flats built there," Singh said, demanding the government to initiate a detailed probe into the alleged irregularities.
Lohardaga Congress MLA Sukhdeo Bhagat, on the other hand, alleged that the government had bought a plot (1.5 acres) valued around Rs 25 lakh only for a whopping Rs 2.43 crore to build a water treatment plant in the bauxite town.
"According to the khatiyan (original land records), the plot in question was owned by a tribal. At least 18 ward councillors of Lohardaga had objected to this land deal and given a letter to the deputy commissioner. But all their pleas fell on deaf ears and land brokers, in connivance with district officials, managed to sell the property to the government on March 3, 2015," he added.
The state Congress president further said that various facts related to the ownership, government land price etc were suppressed. During the registration, the ownership of the plot was show in the name of one Nurul Hasan, who died back in 2007, even though it was owned by a tribal. "It was an illegal deal. There should be a detailed probe to unearth the facts and book the real culprits," Bhagat added.
Later, replying on behalf of the government, urban development minister C.P. Singh said that the government had ordered the Lohardaga deputy commissioner to probe the illegal land deal, if any. "The DC has submitted a report but it is not satisfactory. The matter will now be probed by the anti-corruption bureau," he added.
Besides, a public interest litigation (PIL) has also been filed in Jharkhand High Court in this connection, he added.
The minister also promised to institute a committee, headed by a principal secretary or an additional chief secretary of the state government, to probe the matter pertaining to Jharia rehabilitation.
