NHRC notice to the Jharkhand Government on economic hardships to tribals, illegal coal mining and trading leading to killings in Dhanbad

New Delhi, February 6th, 2012

The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Jharkhand Government through its Chief Secretary calling for a detailed report on economic hardships to tribals, illegal coal mining and trading leading to killings of many locals who are virtually living in sub-human existence in Dhanbad district of the State which is yet to witness an effective action for the rehabilitation of people who lost their houses in underground coal fires. The Commission issued this notice, returnable within four weeks, taking suo motu cognizance of its findings, which are as under:
"1. Dhanbad is the oldest mining area in the country and is the hotbed of gangs indulging in illicit coal trade. These gangs recruit tribals to illegally mine coal for them and carry it to distant collection points. While going from Ranchi to Dhanbad, one could see beeline of cycles carrying coal, up steep gradients. In the process of illegal mining many people are killed, but the matters are not reported under influence of the gangsters and due to economic compulsions faced by the tribals engaged in illegal mining. Despite seeing the plight of these tribals, who are virtually living a sub-human existence, no concrete action has been taken to control either the coal mafia or bring the illegal trade in the ambit of legal procurement.
2. Areas in the periphery of Dhanbad are now facing danger on account of underground coal fires. At the instance of President of India, Government of India had worked out a rehabilitation plan for shifting the endangered population to safer areas. However, despite allocations made by the Government of India, effective action, at ground level, is very tardy. If the rehabilitation process is not expedited, hundreds of lives would be lost due to the entire houses being consumed by these fires, which spurt up suddenly.
3. Dhanbad is an emerging centre of naxalite violence mainly because poverty removal and other social programmes are not being implemented effectively. The main reason for lack of delivery is large number of vacancies in the concerned departments at the field level. The district officials feel that the stop gap arrangements being made by employing some persons on contract basis is not a tangible substitute for regular employees. On account of tardy provisions of services, most of the programmes, aimed at improving the quality of life of people, are failing to provide due benefits to them. Abject poverty is one of the reasons for tribals falling prey to inducement by naxalities."

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