Meghnagar (Madhya Pradesh): Scores of villagers from Hedawa village falling under Thandla development block have levelled serious accusations on the district mining department claiming that the district mining officer has allotted mines in an arbitrary manner to people close to him. Furthermore, it is alleged that two mines have been allotted through two different orders on the same date on the same survey.
Demanding district collector Somesh Mishra initiate an inquiry into the matter and appointment of nodal officers just like other departments, villagers accused mining officer Dharmendra Chouhan of building up his undeclared wealth by taking huge financial support from mine applicants as a courtesy gift in the name of mine approval.
Quoting an example of recent allotments, villagers claimed that on March 30, 2022, the district mining officer issued two orders for two mines on the same survey to Ratlam-based M/s CP Global Buildon LLP PartBharat Charadia, reportedly close to mining officer Chouhan.
According to sources working in the Mining Department, Bharat Charadia was given a letter of departmental consent for the approval of this mine without the necessary documents.
Survey numbers 340, 341 and 342 of Hedawa village of which total area is 12.100, approval letter number 392/mineral was issued on March 30 for mineral mining lease on 3.8-hectare land, while the second lease was for 4.0 hectare.
Permission of two mines on one NOC
In case of the department giving two orders, two applications would have to be made as well as two clearances would have been taken from all the departments, but only one correspondence was made with the Gram Panchayat Hedawa in this regard on February 9.
On February 28, the Gram Panchayat lodged an objection in this regard and informed about the same to the janpad panchayat as well. Despite this on what basis the Mining Officer Dharmendra Chauhan issued the in-principle permission is a big question.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader DilipKatara from the village said that the panchayat has already passed a resolution for development works on the said land.
There is no government land in the village. The land has been reserved as grazing land, so the villagers will not allow the mine to be approved under any circumstances.
