Chhattisgarh tribal body finds irregularities in Hasdeo mining clearance

The Chhattisgarh State Scheduled Tribe Commission found that the clearance was obtained using forged documents

The Chhattisgarh State Scheduled Tribe Commission (CSSTC) has found irregularities in getting environment clearance for the Parsa coal mine in the Surguja region of the State and  has recommended cancelling the forest clearance for the mining project in the biodiversity-rich area. 

The Commission has found that the said clearance – which is obtained only after receiving the consent of the gram sabhaaccording to the rules – was obtained using forged documents. 

The Parsa coal mine has been allotted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd. (RRVUNL) which has subsequently selected the Adani group as the mine developer and operator (MDO) for the project that has been opposed by activists and certain section of locals in the region. 

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Following the report, the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan – an organisation that has led the anti-mining protests in the Hasdeo region – has demanded that the State government cancel the forest and environment clearance issued to the mine and register a criminal case against the guilty officers and the mining company. On the other hand, RRVUNL, a State-run undertaking – has questioned the findings of the report itself. 

The Commission, which is mandated with the protection of rights of tribals in the State, had acted on complaints by 41 residents from Salhi, Hariharpur and Fatepur villages in 2021 that forged gram sabha proposals had been obtained for mining in Parsa. 

The Commission’s recommendation letter to the Sarguja collector mentions that after scrutinising the versions of various stakeholders and the documents the Commission concluded that for obtaining environmental clearance for Parasa coal block and permission for diversion of forest land, RRVUNL misused the officers and employees of the district administration. It also concluded that “this illegal act of the government employees is also an attack on the rights of the gram sabha, an autonomous unit of the Fifth Scheduled Areas of the Constitution”.

The aforesaid letter to the collector for the cancellation has signatures of CSSTC chairperson Bhanu Pratap Singh and two members, Amrit Toppo and Ganesh Singh Dhruv, but not of the commission’s secretary. 

On the findings of the report, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Arun Sao said that officials concerned would look into the matter. 

A senior RRVUNL official alleged that the reply to the notice issued by the RRVUNL had not been considered by the Commission. The official also claimed that six similar cases were filed in the Chhattisgarh High Court which had been dismissed by the Court while one such case is pending in the Supreme Court. The official shared court documents to back his claim but The Hindu could not independently corroborate the validity of those documents. 

Meanwhile, Alok Shukla, the convenor of the CBA said that the State government did not take action, the organisation, along with other “democratic organisations and sensitive citizens of the State”, will present one lakh public petitions in the Assembly in the upcoming winter session. “Along with a massive movement at the State level, the commission’s report will be sent to 10 thousand villages of the State and people will be communicated with,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Published - November 06, 2024 10:05 pm IST