Question : DEATHS DUE TO ILLEGAL MINING



(a) the number of persons who died due to illegal mining in various coal mines during each of the last three years and upto March 2001, mine-wise; and

(b) the action taken against the erring officials of these mines during the said period?

Answer given by the minister


MINISTER OF STATE FOR COAL (SHRI SYED SHAHNAWAZ HUSSAIN)


(a) Illegal mining activities, in the nature of surreptitious extraction and pilferage of coal from abandoned, closed and disused mines and from outcrop region have been reported from coal mining areas of ECL, BCCL and CCL having their coal mines in erstwhile Bihar ( Now Jharkhand) and West Bengal. However, as the said activities are carried out stealthily and clandestinely, it is not possible to know the number of persons who died due to illegal mining in various coal mines.

(b) Whenever any case of illegal mining is detected in the leasehold area of the coal companies, FIRs are filed with the police stations and such cases are pursued with the law enforcing authorities. Since illegal mining is done in the closed and disused mines, and such mining being in contravention of the provisions of relevant law, no responsibility can be fixed against any official due to any fatality caused during illegal mining operation.