Activists publish a report on Deoch’s odors at Kolkata press club. Picture Credit: Special Arrangement.
The civil rights organization, which claimed the threats and supervision of the police at the local residents in Deocha, in the district of West Bengal Birbhum, said on Friday that people in this area should have the right to move and say not the proposed coal mining project.
“Each person has the right to say any coal project. There should be freedom of movement, especially if the coal mining project is likely to affect thousands of families. Those who are for the project should also say what they have to and let people decide,” Anuradha Talwar of Paschima Banga KHET Maor Samity said he was issuing a group of six activists.
Mrs. Talwar, who was part of the team visiting the area, said that several people, including journalists, are stopped in a visit to the area and compares the situation in the Mohammed bazaar in Birbhum to the situation in Singur and Nandigram during the left front government.
“We get the feeling of Deja Vu, such as Singur and Nandigram, where people must not enter, there is a high police presence and anyone entering is a branded Maoist. It seems that only the party in power has changed,” she said.
Mrs. Talwar, who was active in obtaining a violent land in singur and nandigram, said it was very unfortunate that such a situation existed during a party that came to power to fight the soil.
The interim report prepared by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity and Shramjibi Mahil Samity on the basis of their visit to Deoch Pachi at the beginning of this month, concerns people who were picked up at night and threatened. The report concerns a team of human rights activists, which was blocked by Goony and another team of trade union activists stopped the project supporters.
The report points out that the state government and leaders of the ruling party promote the idea that everyone is very satisfied with the coal mine, but people ask if everything is with the consent of people, why is there so many police presence in villages?
The main minister of West Bengal Mamata Baerjee 6th February during the Bengal Global Trade Summit announced work in the Coal mining project Deocha Pachami. The coal mining project of 35,000 GBP is offered as the largest block of coal in India and the second largest coal block in the world, with an estimated reserve of 1,240 million tonnes (MT) coal and 2,675 MT basalt. West Begal Power Development Corporation Ltd. (WBPDCL) is an agency and the project has become a prestigious question for the government of West Bengal.
Subha protim Roy Chowdhury from PBKMS said that without the complete consent of the gram Sabhas, coal or basalt mining should not be carried out. “Given the global climate change, the use of a jungle for industrial purposes is against the environment, these measures should not be taken,” he said.
UDBHAS DAS, activist, said that after the announcement of 6 February he has been in the region a frantic activity and is very difficult to visit the area, has been walking for years. Mr. Das said that there was no assessment of environmental impacts or a detailed report on the project and questioned the decision of the state government to move forest trees for mining.
Jui Koley, another activist, said the area is inhabited by tribes who do not have basic hygiene facilities and most families do not have toilets at home. “Medical centers and Anganwadis are non -functional, children are taught in Bengali in Santhali High School,” she said, adding that development would mean improving these facilities that do not compromise people.
Published – March 28, 2025 21:23
