By IANS,
Ranchi : More than 4,800 applications for prospective mining and the renewal of leases for mining are pending in Jharkhand, an official said Tuesday.
“The applications have been pending for the last two years. The state government has also not sent its quarterly report to the central mines ministry,” an official told IANS on the condition of anonymity. He put the number of pending applications at 4,823.
On Feb 16, the central government sent a letter on the mines department — headed by Deputy Chief Minister Hemant Soren — not sending its quarterly reports on the status of mines and applications.
According to government sources, the present government is wary of taking a decision due to the scandal surrounding former chief minister Madhu Koda, who is alleged to have favoured private companies in the allocation of mines when he was chief minister between September 2006 and August 2008.