Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: The deaths of Kirani Birhor and Bahadur Birhor, members of the primitive Birhor tribe, allegedly due to the adverse impacts of mining activities at NTPC’s Chatti Bariatu Coal Project in Keradari block, Hazaribagh, have taken a new turn. While the National Human Rights Commission is yet to receive a response from the Hazaribagh district administration, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has officially registered a case in the matter.
Case Registered Following Activist Mantu Soni’s Complaint
The commission acted on a complaint filed by activist Mantu Soni, who raised objections to the district administration’s handling of the case. The commission informed Soni about the registration of the case. Earlier, the commission had sought responses from Hazaribagh DC and SP, but after receiving the replies, the commission invited Soni to file objections. This led to the submission of detailed allegations pointing to a larger conspiracy.
Dissatisfaction with DC-SP’s Responses
In response to Soni’s complaints, the commission had asked the Hazaribagh DC and SP to clarify the deaths of minor Kirani Birhor and Bahadur, alias Durga Birhor, residents of the Birhor Tola near the mining site. However, the complainant raised several questions:
•Why were Birhor families not resettled in suitable locations under the Forest Rights Act before the mining began?
•Why was a misleading report regarding compliance with the Forest Rights Act submitted during the forest clearance process?
•Why was the Birhor community’s application for resettlement, submitted to the DC, ignored?
Allegations of Negligence
Soni pointed out that despite the formation of a five-member investigative team under the leadership of the Sadar Sub-Divisional Officer, no action was taken on their report. He also questioned the compensation of ₹40,000 provided by the mining agencies, asking why no post-mortem was conducted for the deceased.
Conspiracy Allegations
The activist alleged that coal ministry pressure to meet production and transportation deadlines led to a rush in starting the Chatti Bariatu Coal Project. Reportedly, 30% of the project’s bank guarantee was forfeited due to delays, prompting the district administration and user agency to prioritize mining operations, disregarding the risks to the primitive tribal community.
Commission’s Next Steps
The ST-SC Commission is now expected to probe deeper into the alleged violations of tribal rights, procedural lapses, and the district administration’s complicity in prioritizing mining activities over the welfare of the indigenous Birhor community.
