Lagatar24 Desk
Hazaribagh: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has issued notices to five top officials of the Jharkhand government over the alleged deaths of Birhor tribe members due to the harmful effects of mining under the NTPC Chatti Bariatu Coal Mining Project in Hazaribagh’s Barkagaon region. The mining work is being carried out by Ritwik-AMR company on behalf of NTPC.
The notice was issued following a complaint filed by activist Mantu Soni, alleging that NTPC is violating mining regulations and impacting the primitive tribal community adversely. The NCST has sought action-taken reports from the Additional Chief Secretary, Secretaries of the Health, ST/SC Welfare, Environment & Climate Change, Mines & Geology departments, and the Director General of Police (DGP), within 15 days.
According to the commission, mining activities in the region have already led to the deaths of three Birhor individuals. The NCST emphasized the seriousness of the matter, considering the Birhor community falls under the category of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
The matter had earlier drawn the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which had issued notices to the Hazaribagh Deputy Commissioner and NTPC CMD following the death of Geeta Birhor.
