Ajit Jogi writes to Rahul alleging Cong govt-AEL nexus
| Date :11-Jun-2019 |
The Hitavada State Bureau:
Dantewada/Raipur
As the stand-off between the tribals and NMDC-CMDC Ltd (NCL) management over handing over of the 10MTPA capacity Bailadila Iron-ore Deposit-13 at Kirandul in Dantewada district to Adani Enterprises Ltd as Mine Developer-Cum-Operator (MDO), continued for the fourth day today, the production at NMDC Bailadila mines remained paralysed. On the other hand, politics on the issue continued to boil under the prevailing heat wave conditions in the state.
Taking a step further his fight against the state government in his mission towards saving Nandaraj Parvat and the deity Pittor Meta Devi sitting on its summit, Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (Jogi) Founder President Ajit Jogi wrote to AICC President Rahul Gandhi alleging the nexus of Congress government and AEL. In his letter to AICC President, the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh Supremo stated that under the rule of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) had gained considerably, he alleged. In this six months since the government has came to power, the Bhupesh government has appointed AEL, MDO in the coal blocks and iron-ore mines allocated to Public Sector Undertakings owned by three state governments.
By doing this, the state government has given back-door entry to AEL for exploiting mining resources. Citing examples, Ajit Jogi said State Level Environment Board meeting was chaired by Principal Secretary (Environment) on February 12, 2009, wherein, it was decided that “the state government has furnished Adani Enterprises Ltd the “consent to establish” certificate for mining operations to extract 2 million tonnes of iron-ore per annum from Deposit No 13. Jogi further stated that after issuance of ‘Consent to Establish’ certificate to AEL, another meeting was held on April 2019, which was chaired by Principal Secretary (Environment), wherein, two questions came to fore that why mining works on Deposit No 13 has not yet been commenced and what kind of impediments are coming in its way.
Jogi said the answer to these questions have been received by the Chief Minister from the stand-off created by tribals at Kirandul paralysing the works by NMDC as they are fighting this fight for their very survival and existence. Ajit Jogi further quoting AEL stated that in its statement issued two days back AEL had stated that in December 2018, NCL appointed AEL as MDO. AEL was not involved in obtaining clearances for the project and only after December 2018, it assumed role of MDO through a transparent bidding process. Jogi in his letter further stated that the previous government had appointed AEL as MDO in four mines in last six years but the incumbent Congress government has obliged AEL in last six months more than what the previous government had done by appointing it MDO in three mines.
Under the Congress government, over 170 tons of coal and iron-ore will be excavated from different mines in Chhattisgarh. Jogi urged the AICC President to directly intervene in this issue and direct Congress government in Chhattisgarh to cancel MDO license of AEL for Deposit-13 in Datewada so that the tribals here can save their very existence. Jogi in his letter said recently the AICC President had intervened in the issue of allocating mines to Vedanta at Niyamgiri Parvat in Odisha and your intervention led to cancellation of the same. It is unfortunate that the Congress government had issued Consent to Establish certificate which would enable mining operators to demolish the Pittormeta Devi temple and start iron-ore mining and if this is allowed the people of Chhattisgarh will never pardon the Congress.