The Chhattisgarh Scheduled Tribe Commission has found that the process of obtaining forest clearance (FC) for the Parsa coal block in Surguja district was tainted with multiple irregularities and fabricated entries in the case of three villages, the latest controversy to hit the high-profile project.
Forty-one residents of three villages – Salhi, Hariharpur, and Fatehpur – that fall under the Parsa coal block filed a complaint with the ST commission on August 8, 2021, alleging their consent for mining was fabricated. They alleged that the gram sabhas never discussed the clause pertinent to mining.
The commission investigated the claim over three years, and on Tuesday recommended to the district collector of Surguja, Vilas Bhoskar, to stop the process of deforestation that started on October 18. The recommendation letter, a copy of which is with HT, also suggested that the forest clearance granted to the Parsa coal mine be annulled for three out of the four villages that come under the project, fresh gram sabhas be convened in the three villages, and the commission be informed about the decision.
“We did a detailed investigation and found that the consent of three gram sabhas was not taken for the Parsa coal block,” commission chief Bhanu Pratap Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}“We did a detailed investigation and found that the consent of three gram sabhas was not taken for the Parsa coal block,” commission chief Bhanu Pratap Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}“...the Commission recommends through Chhattisgarh State Scheduled Tribes Raipur that the final order of approval issued by the Forest Department… issued to Parsa Coal Block should be cancelled and the Gram Sabha should be called again in Salhi, Hariharpur and Fatehpur and the Commission should be informed within 15 days,” the recommendation letter read.
The Parsa block was allocated to the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited in 2015 under the central government’s coal mine developer-cum-operator scheme. Adani Enterprises won the contract to operate the mine through competitive bidding.
Chhattisgarh government’s public relation department did not respond to HT’s queries regarding the commission’s recommendation letter. Adani Enterprises officials also did not respond to HT’s queries about the letter.
In its recommendation letter, the commission said the investigation revealed that, in the gram sabha held on January 1, 2018 in Salhi and on January 21, 2018 in Hariharpur, the villagers only discussed and passed a resolution on the agenda items numbered 1 to 21 sent by the district panchayat – all of which were related to developmental works.
“The then sarpanch, the current sarpanch, and the panchayat secretary confirmed that discussion took place for proposals up to number 21. The agenda item 22, which was about no-objection for initiating a coal mine, was not discussed,” the report said.
The commission said entries on item number 22 were entered in the records after the conclusion of the meeting.
“This entry was acknowledged by the secretary, who, when questioned, admitted in the presence of the villagers and district administration officials that the entry for number 22 was made at the Udaipur rest house. The sarpanch and the secretary were reportedly taken to the sarpanch’s house by administrative officers to sign this additional proposal. However, the then sarpanch explicitly refused to sign the additional proposal number 22. The next day, they were called again to the Udaipur rest house, where undue pressure was applied to make them sign, but both declined,” the commission said in its letter to Surguja district collector Vilas Bhoskar.
The commission held a hearing on the matter on September 10, 2024 in the auditorium of the district panchayat at Ambikapur in Surguja district.
The hearing was conducted in the presence of the sub-divisional officer (revenue), representatives of the district forest division officer, lawyers from both parties, and the villagers.
The commission concluded that there were “multiple irregularities and fabricated entries” made in the village assembly resolutions submitted for land diversion by the forest department.
“It is clear from the statements, evidence and documents presented by both the parties… to the Commission that there are many irregularities in the Gram Sabha proposal document presented by the Forest Department for land diversion and it is an illegal act and has been written in a forged manner…” the recommendation letter said.
The commission recommended that the forest clearance granted to the Parsa coal mine should be annulled and fresh gram sabha be convened in the three villages.
The four-page recommendation letter was signed by ST commission members Amrit Toppo, Ganesh Singh Dhruv and president Bhanupratap Singh.
Bhanu Pratap Singh said one secretary of the commission did not sign the report, and that he wrote to Governor Ramen Deka about the issue.
The Parsa coal block is in the Hasdeo region, which falls under the fifth schedule of Constitution. Here, taking the consent of affected village panchayats and completing the recognition process of all forest rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, before any forest land diversion is mandatory.
Last month, clashes broke out between villagers and forest officials. Activists say that around 700 people will be displaced and around 840 hectares of dense forest will be destroyed due to the project. As per the 2009 census of the forest department, around 95,000 trees were expected to be axed.