In a letter to Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat has opposed a recent Chhattisgarh government’s approval of diversion of a large forested land in the Hasdeo region of the State for mining purposes.
In her letter, the former MP and Special Invitee, CPI(M) Central Committee, wrote there was no public interest involved in the project and it would only lead to exploitation of mineral resources for private gain.
A recommendation letter dated June 26, in which the Forest department has approved the proposal for diversion of forest land for non-forestry purpose — coal excavation work in the Kete Extension Coal Block Open Mine Project of the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam or RNUVL, surfaced online on August 4. In the letter uploaded on government’s PARIVESH website, Forest department official from Surguja district Abhishek Jogawat has based the recommendation on a survey done by him.
The approval has also faced criticism from the Opposition Congress and environmentalists in the State. Demanding its cancellation, they have accused the ruling BJP of sacrificing the interests of the people of State as well as ecological concerns for the benefit of their capitalist friends, specifically the Adani conglomerate that is the mine developer and operator for RVUNL.
