The four day padyatra (foot march) during 2nd to 5th April, 2015 which started from main gate of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, ended on a positive note with the participants and others in the concluding programme held in Robertsganj pledging to bring an end to illegal mining going on Sonebhadra.
The 102 mining leases, sanctioned by UP Government, without the approval of Ministry of Environment and Forest of Government of India, include one given to ruling party MLA Ramesh Chandra Dubey. It is inexplicable how a serving MLA is holding a mining lease? Among other political leaders or their family members holding leases for illegal mining include Ashok K. Mishra and Shashi Tripathi of BJP, Ramesh Chandra Vaishya and Imtiyaz Ahmed of Samajwadi Party, Uma Shankar Singh and Dara Shikoh of BSP and Gyanendra Tiwari of Congress.
In addition a number of journalists, like Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Jalan, Pradeep Narain Rai, Dara Shikoh have also managed to bag mining contracts. Because of involvement of journalists, the media in Sonebhadra does not take a stand against the illegal mining. On the other hand if there is any disruption in mining, like what happened after the February, 2012, accident in Billi Markundi mines in which about a dozen labourer were crushed to death, the media becomes the voice of mining mafia and starts demanding the reopening of mining activities on the pretext of employment for local people.
Ajay Shekhar, past Chairman, Nagar Palika, revealed that a ‘VIP’ tax is being charged from contractors involved in mining here. Every truck of stone and sand going out of Sonebhadra must pay Rs. 6200 as ‘VIP’ tax instead of the government approved rate of Rs. 750. With 1,500-2,000 trucks leaving Sonebhadra everyday around Rs. 1.5 crores is being illegally generated which is distributed among officials and politicians from the local level to the state level. It is a common knowledge among people here that commission is directly being sent to the CM office.
In addition to the illegal mining in Sonebhadra and neighbouring Mirzapur district, large stone crushing machines have been installed and blasting being done every day, all of it illegally. In fact, a visit to these two districts – Sonebhadra and Mirzapur – gives you a feeling of no rule of law being enforced here and a complete control of nexus of mafia-contractor-politicians-bureaucrats, most of them from outside the area, who are out to milk maximum profit at the cost of local people.
Since crushing machines have been employed about one and a half lakh labourers have become employed or underemployed in Mirzapur alone. A labourer used to get Rs. 500 for filling one tractor trolley with stones, which used to take 2-3 days, earlier. For the same job they now get Rs. 250. So, on one hand the nexus of outsiders involved in illegal activities has amassed wealth, the local population has become impoverished. Tribals are paying a price with their health contracting various diseases because of the immense pollution created due to uncontrolled exploitation of stone and sand here.
Ajay Shekhar, Vice President, Socialist Party (India), U.P., 9794091446
Chunnilal, Organisational Secretary, Socialist Party (India), U.P., 9839422521
Monish Babbar, President, Socialist Chhatra Sabha, U.P., 8953988126
Sandeep Pandey, National Vice President, Socialist Party (India), 0542 6702702, 2575389
