Congress Alleges Forged Gram Sabha Clearances for Adani-Linked Coal Block
The Congress party on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Madhya Pradesh of facilitating coal mining in Singrauli through forged Gram Sabha approvals. Addressing a press conference, Congress Working Committee permanent invitee K Raju and Adivasi Congress president Dr Vikrant Bhuria alleged that the thumb impressions of deceased villagers were used to obtain statutory consent for the Dhirauli coal block, which was allotted to Stratatech Mineral Resources Pvt Ltd, a company linked to the Adani Group. The party described the alleged irregularities as the “Singrauli Files” and demanded a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
RTI Documents Reveal Alleged Forgeries
The Congress claimed that Right to Information (RTI) documents and death certificates showed fake Gram Sabha resolutions had been prepared to secure environmental and forest clearances for the Dhirauli coal block. Dr Vikrant Bhuria cited several instances to support the allegations. He claimed that the thumb impression of Brijbhan Singh, who died in 2014, appeared in a Gram Sabha register dated November 2021. Similarly, Phuleshwari Singh, who died in 2018, was allegedly shown as having participated in the same proceedings. Bhuria further alleged that the thumb impressions of several other deceased villagers had been used to facilitate forest land diversion and mining approvals.
Tribal Leaders Falsely Implicated
Bhuria also alleged that tribal leaders Sumaru Singh and Sonmati Singh, both of whom had opposed the project, were falsely shown as having affixed thumb impressions despite being literate and ordinarily signing official documents. This, he said, indicated a deliberate attempt to fabricate consent from the local community.
Congress Demands Action Under Forest Rights Act and PESA
K Raju alleged that the BJP government had sacrificed the constitutional and legal rights of tribal communities to benefit corporate interests. He claimed the alleged violations undermined the Forest Rights Act, the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), and provisions of the land acquisition law that require informed Gram Sabha consent and social impact assessments in Scheduled Areas. The Congress demanded registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) against the officials and companies allegedly involved, an immediate suspension of mining activities in the disputed coal block, and a court-monitored CBI investigation into the alleged forgery and irregularities.
Renewed Call for Electoral Roll Probe
The party also reiterated its demand for a fresh probe into the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise had led to the deletion of eligible voters’ names and deprived citizens of their franchise. The Congress linked this to the broader pattern of alleged irregularities in the region.
