It will be quite some time before the proposed Hurashi and Chupervita open cast mine projects, an extension of the Rajmahal Coalfield Project, finally see the light of the day as the administration has not been able to acquire land for railway lines.

According to sources in Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) that has undertaken the Rajmahal Coalfield Project, the state had completed survey work of the merry-go-round (MGR) railway lines, required to ferry coal, at Hurashi in 2005. The line will connect Hurashi with Debri cabin of Lalmatiya-Farakka MGR line. A no-objection certificate was also obtained from the forest department as a portion of the land lies in the forest and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Farakka, was assigned the task to construct the 10km stretch.

"We have already deposited an amount with the land acquisition department, Godda, for giving compensations to the displaced. But the officials concerned have not taken any efforts to complete the process of acquiring land," an officials at the NTPC, Farakka, said. "In the first phase, 263 jobs have been approved for the displaced," he added.

Similar initiatives had been taken by the NTPC for laying MGR line at Chupervita open cast project on the border of Godda-Pakur, located 75km from the Rajmahal project.

The 26km MGR line will be connected to Lalmatiya-Farakka MGR line at Barhet level crossing (Sahebganj). It will pass via Sonazori, Harodehi, Gopaldehi, Tiotola, Jhabri, Karantola, Gilha, Chucchi, Kusma, Metor, Mukki, Rajapani, Barapuro (Godda), Jabardaha, Baradham, Chotapuro, Mekomudhubi, Garidehi, Piparjoria, Pokharia and Karasol's loading point.

Sources said all necessary documents for land acquisition had been handed over to Godda and Sahebganj district administrations. "Due to some technical problems, the administrations are yet to complete the formalities. As a result, the project has been delayed," a source said.

Director of Coal India P.K. Banerjee, who visited the project sites on June 9, said he had received complaints from NTPC officials about the laggard pace of work. "Coal India is trying its best to get the two important projects started at the earliest. The ECL has already prepared the blueprints of rehabilitation packages that will usher in development in the area. I will take up the matter with the higher state officials to expedite work on the MGR lines," he said.

Telegraph / June 19, 2009

The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the Centre's ambitious project to connect the rural interiors with the state's roads, has failed to take off successfully in the Santhal Pargana districts — evident from an analysis of the past two years.

In the 2007-08 fiscal, the rural works department, the nodal agency assigned for the project, managed to complete only seven out of the 87 sanctioned roads, for which Rs 100 crore had been approved.

The state had approved Rs 100.45 core for the construction of 343.44-km of roads in Santhal Pargana. Of that, only Rs 29.28 crore was spent during 2007-08. Result: Eighty incomplete roads.

The situation was similar in the next financial year, 2008-09. Under PMGSY, 111 new projects were sanctioned and Rs 84.09 crore released. However, only five new roads were completed at a cost of Rs 12.25 crore.

During 2007-08, the construction of new roads was also not completed in Dumka, Sahebganj and Pakur districts. In Dumka, 12 new roads, stretching over 65.36-km, were scheduled to be completed. Out of the sanctioned Rs 21.18 crore, the rural works department spent only 5.85 crore.

In Deoghar, during 2007-08, only four the 39 sanctioned road projects were completed. Out of the sanctioned Rs 30.67 crore, the district managed to spend Rs 4.23 crore. In 2008-09, out of 35 sanctioned roads, only two were completed at Deoghar.

Similarly during 2007-08, only one road under this project was completed at Jamtara and two were completed in Godda. During 2008-09, Rs 10 crore was sanctioned for Godda. In 2007-08, out of a sanctioned Rs 27.06 core, Godda managed to spend only Rs 2.14 crore for completing two roads under the PMGSY.

The 2008-09 fiscal witnessed no improvement. As the officials concerned remained busy in publishing tenders and completing the formalities related to the tender process.

Not a single officer in the rural works department was available for comment on the cause of such delay or non-execution of the works for the roads under PMGSY.

Divisional commissioner of Santhal Pargana Sahazanand Sharma was also not available for his comment but sources from his office said that he recently expressed his deep concern over the delay of construction of the roads under the project.

Telegraph / June 9, 2009

A dilapidated building in Rajmahal that housed the zonal railway headquarters during British rule 

Historical monuments languishing in neglect for the past six decades in Rajmahal, Sahebganj, will soon get a facelift. The state has drawn up a Rs 3-crore renovation and beautification plan to turn the erstwhile capital of united Bengal into a tourist destination.

State tourism secretary Arun Kumar Singh, who recently visited Sahebganj, said the immense tourism potential of the town had prompted the drive. He said the renovation plan would cover the Singhi Dalan, Baradwari, Maina Biwi tank, tanksal (treasury) and Kanhaiyasthan — all dating back to the Mughal period.

On May 13, a team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), accompanied by state tourism department co-ordinator Sridev Singh toured Rajmahal. Singh told The Telegraph Rs 3 crore would be spent to repair the tottering edifices.

Though the project includes all the above mentioned monuments, two most prominent Mughal creations — the tomb of Miran and Udhwa Nala — find no mention.

According to professor Yogendra Prasad Roy, the head of history department at Sahebganj College, Miran was the son of Mir Zafar, who engineered Sirajudullah's defeat and Bengal's takeover by the British after the battle in Plassey in 1757.

Miran's tomb at Mahajantoli is on the verge of extinction with encroachment being a major problem. The Udhwa Nala, where Siraj was caught while trying to flee, too needs attention. Roy said it was unfortunate that the tourism department had overlooked the two very important witnesses of history.

When asked why the tomb and the nala were missing from the renovation list, the tourism secretary said they "will most certainly be included" as will the building that currently houses the Rajmahal police station, but was the zonal railway headquarters during the Raj rule. The police station will be shifted to a new building at Naya Bazar.

Archaeological Survey of India has already started renovation work at Baradwari and also at Jama Masjid, which was built by Maan Singh, the then governor of emperor Akbar.

May 23, 2009 / Telegraph