KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, July 22: East Singhbhum Zila Parishad has recently invited tenders for the construction of 37 Anganwari Center buildings across the district in three months time even though a ban is in place by National Green Tribunal (NGT) on lifting sands from the rivers.
Significantly, the Zila Parishad executive officer concerned, when queried, expressed helplessness stating that they did just follow the instructions from the state’s Panchayat Raj department to invite such tenders, knowing well that constructing any building will need sand availability which is impossible during the NGT-sponsored ban.
Sand lifting is banned between June 10 to Oct 15 every year
Lifting of sand remains banned from June 10 to October 15 every year during the monsoon period in the light of an NGT directive which is aimed at keeping up the environment, especially the condition of rivers.
To follow the directive strictly, deputy commissioners of all the districts across the country are served with letters every year. The department of mining and geology have to make special arrangements to ensure that the NGT directive is being followed properly.
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In East Singhbhum also the mining department in cooperation with the local police and administration is vigilant against illegal sand lifting and sand transportation from the Subernarekha and Kharkai rivers. The police and administrative officers have already seized several sand-laden dumpers and tractors while acting against the sand mafias active in the district.
Officials state upcoming assembly election as reason for the move
Now the point is when the district has already been hit with a sand crisis due to the NGT ban on sand lifting then what led the state’s Panchayat Raj department to order for construction of as many as 37 Anganwari centre buildings across the district?
Manoj Kumar, the executive officer, Jila Parishad, East Singhbhum kept mum on the question, but one of his subordinates said such an illogical step taken by the department concerned was due to the ensuing assembly elections in Jharkhand.
“The state government remained dormant most of the period during the past four years, but when it came to the assembly elections, it (the state government) opened its eyes as to what is necessary for garnering the people’s support, ” observed the official while talking to The Jharkhand Story, adding that the similar situation is also prevalent in other districts of the state.
