Ultra Left, others vow to intensify movement against coal project at Deocha-Pachami

Several anti-land acquisition organizations, including CPIML(Liberation), an ultra Left organisation, on Tuesday vowed to intensify their movement against the setting up of a coal mine project at Deocha-Pachami in Birbhum district claiming it will displace thousands of people including tribals in the area.

Representatives of over 20 organizations said an agitation will be organised in front of the office of Birbhum district magistrate on January 6 to protest against the alleged forcible acquisition of land, which has been occupied by tribals for centuries, and will be followed by statewide protests later.

CPIML(L) and Swaraj Party leaders alleged at a press conference here that the ruling TMC in the state and the local administration have unleashed a reign of terror in the area to muzzle protests against the project, which will displace 4000 families, including 3000 tribal ones.

A state-appointed apex committee was formed in November 2021 to supervise pre-mining activities and initiate confidence-building measures among residents there and had spoken to stakeholders there.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced in the state Assembly a compensation package of Rs 10,000 crore for people who would get displaced or affected because of the Deocha-Pachami coal mine project and had assured that there would not be any forcible acquisition of land as in Singur in 2006 during the erstwhile Left Front rule. The project was aborted due to the protracted protests and Banerjee who had joined it rode to power in the state five years later on the wave of anti-land acquisition movement. The Centre had allotted the Deocha Pachami Harinsingh- Dewanganj — the world's second-largest coal block — to the state a few years ago.

CPI ML(L) Leader Partha Ghosh told reporters ''No consent of the people or of tribals were taken during land acquisition at Deocha Pachami. It seems the West Bengal government is treating the bhumiputras (sons of the soil) of the area in the same way as the BJP government at the Centre did with the agitating farmers in 2020'' There are also no social or environmental impact reports about the proposed project in the public domain and the state did not organise any public hearing where the views of land owners were heard, he claimed.

Avik Saha of 'Swaraj India' party said the state should have explored ways to harness green energy instead of flagging a coal mine project which will pollute the environment.

Sufiya Khatun, of 'Mahila Swaraj' said the women of Dewanganj-Harinsingha area were being tortured by goons of the ruling party since a meeting of the tribals in the area against the coal mine project. Ghosh said after the January 6 demonstration at Suri in Birbhum district, there will be statewide protests across Bengal to protest against the acquisition of land for the project.

More than 15 tribal organizations, including Adivasi Sangharsha Morcha and Deocha-Pachami Bhumi Raksha Committee were present at the press meet.

The orgnaizations against the coal mining project claimed that the compensation package offered by the Bengal government to the stakeholders was not clear on rehabilitation and relocation issues and the document circulated in the social media did not carry any seal of approval.

Banerjee had told the Assembly after placing the rehabilitation package that the state government will ensure the rehabilitation of people who give their land for the coal mining project. They will be provided with land and houses, a job (junior police constable) for at least one person from each family and that all their rights will be protected.

The Deocha-Pachami block has an estimated 2,102 million tonnes of coal and Banerjee had said that the mining project had the potential to generate almost one lakh jobs in Birbhum and its neighbouring districts. PTI SUS KKKK KK KK

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)