South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) Naurojabad Johila Colliery of Umaria district is once again in the headlines due to serious allegations. This time the matter is not of ordinary irregularity, but of increasing the weight by mixing mud in coal and an alleged scam worth crores of rupees. Regarding this entire matter, the former district president of BJP has sent a complaint directly to the Coal and Mines Minister of the Government of India and demanded a high-level investigation.
BJP leader Dilip Pandey has alleged in the complaint that soil is being mixed with coal openly through JCB machines in Johila Colliery. After this, this adulterated coal is being loaded in railway racks and supplied across the country without any quality testing. If these allegations are found to be true, it will not only cause huge economic loss but also raise questions on the credibility of the entire supply chain.
Dilip Pandey has clearly said in his letter that this work cannot be done by any one person, rather there is a possibility of collusion of many officers in it. Especially the role of side in-charge and sales manager has been described as suspicious. Along with this, serious questions have also been raised regarding the involvement of Bilaspur zone officials.
What makes the matter more serious is the fact that videos in this regard have gone viral on social media, allegedly showing the process of adulteration. Despite this, no concrete action has been taken till now which indicates administrative inaction or patronage.
The impact of this alleged scam is not limited to government revenue only. The complaint also mentions that adulterated coal is reaching industries, which can cause problems like damage to machines, decline in production capacity and economic loss. This situation can also adversely affect the industrial system of the country.
Three major demands have been made in the complaint, first, a high-level inquiry into the entire matter by an independent agency, second, immediate suspension of the guilty officers and employees and strict legal action against them and third, implementing a transparent monitoring system to prevent such incidents in future.
A copy of this complaint has also been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Umaria Collector. Now it has to be seen what kind of action the government and administration takes in this case involving serious allegations. At present this issue has become the center of discussion in the area and people are demanding an impartial investigation.
