EC notice to J’khand CM Soren over mining lease
NEW DELHI: A mining lease purportedly allotted to Hemant Soren by the state government has landed the Jharkhand chief minister in trouble with the Election Commission of India (ECI), which has served him a notice and asked him to respond by May 10, officials familiar with the matter said.
“We have gone through the documents (sent by the Jharkhand chief secretary last week) and found it to be genuine,” an official said, seeking anonymity. “There is a prima facie case made out under Section 9A of Representation of People Act.”
The election commission will permit a personal hearing to Soren, if he so wishes, to refute charges of office of profit, the official said.
Section 9A of the Representation of People Act, 1951, pertains to disqualification for government contracts. It says: ”A person shall be disqualified if, and for so long as, there subsists a contract entered into by him in the course of his trade or business with the appropriate Government for the supply of goods to, or for the execution of any works undertaken by, that Government.’’
Soren is in Hyderabad for the health treatment of his mother. His office said it didn’t have a comment on the development.
The development is a setback for Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha government, which was formed in coalition with the Congress in December 2019. The show-cause notice means the beginning of a judicial process that could see the disqualification of the chief minister and the fall of his government.
Soren is consulting with legal experts like former Supreme Court judge Ashok Ganguly, National Academy of Legal Studies and Research vice-chancellor Faizan Mustafa and former Election commission official SK Mendiratta regarding the matter, HT reported last week.
The matter pertains to alleged grant of an in-principle approval for stone quarrying lease in Soren’s name on government land on the outskirts of state capital Ranchi, which was cleared by the mines and environment departments, both headed by the chief minister.
The matter was raised by former chief minister Raghubar Das on February 10. A delegation of opposition Bharatiya Janata Party led by Das and legislative party leader Babulal Marandi had met the governor on February 11, seeking disqualification and removal of Soren as chief minister. The governor forwarded the complaint to the poll watchdog, which issued a notice to the chief secretary before sending a show-cause notice to the chief minister.
Soren has maintained in court that there was no question of profiting since the letter for operating the mine was never issued. His alliance partner has rallied in his support.