Raipur
The Chhattisgarh Assembly witnessed stormy scenes on Tuesday as opposition members raised a stir over alleged corruption in paddy procurement and illegal land encroachments. The ruckus led to the suspension of several Congress MLAs after they entered the Well of the House to protest the rejection of their adjournment motion.
Opposition leaders alleged that mismanagement at paddy procurement centres has resulted in massive losses. Leader of Opposition Dr Charan Das Mahant claimed that rats destroying stocks caused a loss of approximately ₹4,600 crore. Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the state government of failing to protect the produce, alleging corruption under the guise of the “rat menace.”
The House was earlier adjourned briefly following heated exchanges over the encroachment of government land. Dongargarh MLA Harshita Swami Baghel questioned the delay in constructing a Cooperative Central Bank building despite the issuance of work orders and tenders. She noted that the construction remained stalled due to unresolved encroachments.
Responding to the queries, Minister Kedar Keshap stated that while the site received approval in 2023, the current location lacks adequate parking and facilities. He added that the government is scouting for an alternative site and has written to the Collector to expedite the removal of encroachments. Dissatisfied with the response, the opposition staged a walkout.
During Question Hour, BJP MLA Sushant Shukla sought details regarding advertisement payments made to specific publications. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai informed the House that National Herald received ₹4.24 crore in advertisement revenue over the last five years, while Sunday Navjivan was paid ₹3.06 crore. He clarified that no payments were made to Navsrijan magazine and that the rates followed the 2019 advertisement rules at ₹8 lakh per page.
Further discussions saw Minister Kedar Keshap sharing data on transport violations. He stated that 77,810 cases were registered over the past three years involving vehicles operating without permits, insurance, or carrying loads beyond the limit. Authorities recovered ₹42.79 crore in fines during this period.
Land Allotment for Mining Waste
Congress MLA Kunwar Singh Nishad raised concerns over the allotment of nearly 200 acres of land in Kanker’s Bhanupratappur for dumping waste from Goindavari Power and Ispat mines. He questioned the transparency of the process, alleging that the land was sanctioned without a tender.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai refuted the allegations, stating that the allotment followed Union Ministry of Mines guidelines dated 28 November 2024. He explained that non-mineral land adjacent to a mining lease area does not require an auction. He confirmed that a Geological Survey of India (GSI) investigation had already verified the absence of minerals under the allotted 74.05 hectares.
