Mining Scam

[achyutdas]

Dear Friends,

 

Hello!

 

The Mining Scam of thousands of crores involving very powerful people has rocked the state and has agitated public mind. The suspension of the Director of Mining is not enough. May be it is an attempt to divert the public attention. It is established that the Mining Officials and the corporate enjoy a terribly unholy nexus and what has been exposed is the tip of the iceberg.

 

Is the Civil Society going to be silent or do something?

 

As far as I see, there could be following challenges:

 

1. Ask for details under RTI. If yes who will do this?
2. Set up a People's Commission of Inquiry. If yes, what would be the framework.
3. Send online petition to the CM, the Governor, the PM and the President to set up a judicial commission of  inquiry. If yes, who will co-ordinate this?
4. Request MLAs and MPs to raise the issue in appropriate forum. If yes, who will work on this proposal?
5. Send immediately a fact finding mission to assess what is truth and what is more than truth. If yes, who will be part of this fact finding mission?

I am circulating this posting in all the networks I know urging for immediate response.

 

With best wishes,

 

 

Achyut

 

 

 

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Achyut Das
Director
Agragamee
Kashipur -765015
Rayagada Orissa
India
Phone: 06865 285149/0674 2551123
Fax: 0674 2551130
e-mail: achy...@agragamee.org/agra...@satyam.net.in
Blog: http://friendsofkashipur.blogspot.com
website:www.agragamee.org

[ACHYUT DAS]

Dear Friends,

I feel very encouraged by some of the our friends writing in different networks. They are Dr. Bhagaban Prakash, Mr. Biswajit Hota, Mr. Pradip Pradhan, Mr. Tapan Mohapatra and Mr. N Panigrahi. Thanks a lot.

My suggestion is that we should ask for more information under RTI. Pradip has already tried and failed. I request him to share his questions. My request to all our friends to ask for information using RTI framework. Let us apply our mind.

What is important is that we have to have a full computation of the extent of loss. How many thousands of crores? When our state Orissa is begging to the World Bank, DFID, Asian Development Bank, JICA for development assistance; when our NGOs and Civil Societies are at the mercy of the International NGOs and Donors, this loot by the Mining Companies, Officials, Politicians and Middlemen could have been used to provide some of the basics to the poor and need-drinking water, Primary Education, Primary Health, Nutrition, Road Communication. A crime has been committed and justice must be done. That is why there is some urgency.

Let us try to understand the Process of Vigilance Inquiry and the Rules of Business of the Government . How have the Mining Companies  made incursion into  Keonjhar to undertake this illegal mining? There must be some kind of official and political clearance and complicity. We have to ask specifically at what level the file has been cleared. This has to be the crucial piece of information. I doubt the Director of Mining has the courage to do it alone.

Like Watergate, can we name this scam? In fact, we should name each one of the scams like the typhoons and cyclones are named. Any suggestion?

Looking forward to your response and with best wishes,


Achyut Das

2009/9/19 childright-India <childri...@yahoo.com>

Dear Achyut Bhai,

I am willing to file a RTI on the issue. Please frame for me all questions to be asked for 5(C) of RTI application format.

I remain to hear from you.

Mr.Tapan Mohapatra, Founder Secretary
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