Chhattisgarh Assembly: 30 Congress MLAs Suspended for Opposing Mining in Hasdeo Forest
New Delhi: Chhattisgarh Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on Wednesday, February 7, when the Congress legislators demanded discussion over tree felling in the dense Hasdeo forest area to make way for coal mining.
The Speaker suspended 30 Congress legislators who trooped into the well pressing for a discussion on the same. Their suspension was later revoked.
The opposition Congress expressed its concern on the decision to fell over 15,000 trees, which they say, will adversely affect the flora, fauna, and tribals who live in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo-Arand area. The Congress questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) ‘haste’ in ordering tree-cutting recalling that the Assembly had already adopted a private member resolution on July 26, 2022, urging the Centre to cancel all coal blocks in the Hasdeo Aranya region. They said a letter to this effect was also sent to the Centre, but no action has been taken so far.
The protests in the House began after Speaker Raman Singh declined the Congress’s notice for an adjournment motion, demanding discussion on the issue. Legislative affairs minister Brijmohan Agrawal described the opposition demand as ‘unjustified’ as the chair had already disallowed the notice.
Soon after the Congress government, headed by Bhupesh Baghel, resigned and even before BJP chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai took the oath of office, the principal chief conservator of forest, Chhattisgarh, issued an order on December 11 last year to fell 15,307 trees on 91.3 hectares of forest land for a coal mine project in Hasdeo area, Leader of the Opposition Charandas Mahant said.
He asked how such an order could be issued by the forest department after the Assembly had already passed a private member resolution cancelling mines in the Hasdeo area. ‘The end of Hasdeo will also result in the end of the Bango Dam due to silting,’ Mahant said, according to The Times of India.
Former chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel weighed in. ‘What was the invisible power that forced the grant of permission for tree felling when the assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution against it?’. He said such interventions in Hasdeo would adversely affect the tribals and impact the Bango Dam which, he said, will affect irrigation in many districts.
Other Congress legislators feared that tree felling and making way for coal mining would increase human-elephant conflict in Hasdeo. They say it would prove detrimental to the livelihoods of tribals as well as affect water, forest, and land.
Congress legislator Anila Bhediya said that the BJP governments both at the Centre and state must make efforts to save Hasdeo and protect tribals. As a tribal himself, the chief minister, Bhediya said, must keep the welfare of tribals on his mind.
