Raipur
The BJP on Friday accused the Congress of playing a “double game” over the Tara coal block and the Hasdeo Arand region, alleging that the party was now raising environmental concerns despite having initiated the process for mining and forest clearances during its tenure in office.
Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation chairman and senior BJP leader Sourav Singh targeted former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, alleging that the Congress was misleading the public by concealing decisions taken during the UPA and previous state governments.
Singh said Baghel, during his tenure as chief minister, had sought allocation of the Tara coal block to the Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation. He said Baghel had raised the demand with the Union coal minister in June 2021.
“If mining at Tara was detrimental to the environment, why did the then chief minister seek its allocation?” Singh asked, questioning the Congress’s current opposition to mining in the area.
On the history of mining in Hasdeo Arand, Singh said mining activities in the region began during the UPA government. He claimed that despite adverse recommendations from the Forest Advisory Committee, then Union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh had approved clearances for the Tara and Parsa East & Kanta Basan projects. He said records showed that Stage-I forest clearance for Tara was granted on June 23, 2011.
Clarifying the present status of the Tara block, Singh said its commercial coal e-auction was conducted through an open bidding process, in which CG Syn-Gas and Chemicals Ltd emerged as the successful bidder. He stressed that no mining permission had been granted so far and that mandatory statutory and environmental clearances, including forest permissions, were still pending.
Singh also rejected claims that the auction had immediately paved the way for tree felling or mining, terming such assertions false.
Responding to allegations that more than 10 lakh trees would be felled, Singh said preliminary estimates indicated that around one-tenth of that number could be cleared, and that too in phases.
Defending the state’s environmental record, Singh cited the India State of Forest Report 2023, saying Chhattisgarh’s forest and tree cover had increased by 683.62 sq km, the highest increase in the country. He also said that under Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, nearly seven crore saplings had been planted across the state in the past two years.
Singh said the state government would utilise its natural resources transparently to promote economic growth and employment while adhering to statutory provisions and protecting forests, the environment and tribal interests.
