Dumka (Jharkhand), Aug 11 (PTI) Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Sunday alleged that domestic and foreign companies, with eyes on mineral reserves, are “looting” tribal land in Jharkhand’s Santal Pargana region in connivance with local brokers.
This is happening in violation of the Santal Pargana Tenancy Act, which was enacted to safeguard tribal land, and ignoring Gram Sabhas, Karat claimed.
The CPI(M) politburo member was addressing a convention in Dumka.
She said the Narendra Modi administration had allocated coal blocks to government and private sectors through auction.
The terror of the brokers was such that the tribals residing near the Pachuada coal block did not dare to raise their voices against the companies, she alleged.
On the other hand, the ECL outsourced the coal mining task to several companies that did not care about laborers’ interest nor the rights of private landowners.
She alleged that ECL acquired farmers’ land but did not fulfil the promises of compensation, rehabilitation and jobs.
Hundreds of such cases were still pending, the former parliamentarian said.
“The river Ganges near Sahebganj town turned into nullah even though crores of rupees were spent on “Namami Gange project,” she claimed.
Karat expressed apprehension that the underground water level would decrease if the exploitation continued. PTI COR BS NN
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