Jamshedpur DC show-causes mining officer over corruption charges

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, June 10: East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav has issued a showcause notice to the district mining officer Sanjay Kumar Sharma asking him to explain the charges of involvement in illegal mining activities against him., sources said.

As per sources, the DC has said in the showcause notice that non-registration of FIR by Sharma in several cases of illegal mining indicated his involvement in the crime. Sharma has also been accused of not answering phone calls of senior administrative authorities.

Sharma, who received notice from the Enforcement Directorate recently, did not go to Ranchi despite being called in connection with mining related scams, sources said..

Sources said the SDO of Dhalbhum Sandip Kumar Meena had led surprise raids at illegal mining sites in Hata and Jadugora on 8^th June last and seized 10 trucks carrying iron ore and stone chips. He had directed Sharma to lodge an FIR against the owners of these vehicles. But Sharma, instead of lodging FIR, reportedly asked the vehicle owners to deposit permits, dealer licence and mining stock documents. Despite repeated orders by the SDO, he did not lodge FIR against the accused persons, which shows his complicity in the crime, said sources citing the gist of the show-cause notice.

Sharma was posted in East Singhbhum as the district mining officer only five months ago. He was earlier posted in Hazaribagh and Dumka among other districts. He was also the mining inspector of Seraikela-Kharsawan.