THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Sept 12: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi on Thursday launched a fresh attack on the Hemant Soren-led government, accusing it of attempting to hand over Jharkhand’s sand ghats to mafias and middlemen under the guise of new auction rules.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Marandi alleged that the government’s slogan of employing local youth was a “deception” and that the latest sand ghat policy was designed to benefit contractors with political connections rather than tribal and unemployed youth.
“Rules Made for Brokers”
Marandi said the state government had formulated rules that effectively bar small contractors and local communities from participating in the auction process. According to him, a mandatory annual turnover of ₹15 crore has been set as an eligibility criterion for bidders, mirroring conditions imposed in liquor contracts, which he described as “anti-people and exclusionary.”
“These conditions ensure that poor, unemployed, tribal and backward class people cannot participate. Only those with prior deals and political settings will qualify,” Marandi alleged.
Division of Ghats into Groups
He criticised the state’s decision to cluster more than 500 sand ghats into district-level groups, arguing that the move would make it easier for powerful contractors to monopolise sand mining rights. Citing examples, he said that in Godda district, 16 ghats had been placed in a single group, while Dumka district had 31 ghats divided across three groups.
Marandi claimed that under this system, once environmental clearance is obtained for a single ghat within a group, sand extraction could legally take place across all ghats in that group — a loophole he described as a “conspiracy to legalise illegal mining.”
Call for Gram Sabha Rights
The BJP leader reiterated his demand that control over sand ghats be handed to Gram Sabhas, in line with the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA). He pointed out that the Jharkhand High Court had already stayed the auction of sand ghats due to non-implementation of PESA provisions, which empower local communities in tribal areas to manage natural resources.
“This government does not want to give rights to the Gram Sabha. Instead, it seeks to loot mineral resources through brokers and mafias,” he said.
Warning to Bureaucrats
Marandi also issued a stern warning to senior bureaucrats, alleging that officers and secretaries complicit in the “loot” would eventually face jail time. He referred to the recent arrest of a senior IAS officer as an example of the consequences of ignoring public concerns.
“The government was warned earlier. One secretary is already behind bars. If the government continues this path, more will face the same fate,” he said.
The press conference was also attended by BJP media in-charge Shiv Pujan Pathak and spokesperson Pradeep Sinha.
