Former Dumka MLA Lois Marandi
DUMKA: Former Dumka MLA Lois Marandi on Wednesday accused chief minister Hemant Soren and his lawmaker brother Basant Soren of patronizing mining mafias operating in the Santhal Paraná.
Speaking to journalists at Phulo Jhano Chowk, Marandi said: “The way minerals are being indiscriminately mined by the mafias across Santhal Paraná, nothing will be left for the coming generations.”
“The administrative machinery is not acting against illegal mining, indicating that there is patronage from the ruling dispensation. The mafias are running amok by paying a monthly ‘goonda tax’,” Marandi added.
The former minister alleged that the mafias instigate the locals to mount violent attacks on officers even if they try to curb these practices.