RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Oct.5: The Coal mining project of West Bengal-based company, Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), in Tubed village of Latehar district of Jharkhand may face hurdles as tribal organisations have started coming together to oppose the project citing ‘extinction of Oraon tribe’ as a reason.
Coming together the tribal organisations held a day-long meeting on Monday at Bagaicha in Namkum and chalked out their line of action to start agitation against the project. The tribal organisations included Adihak Bhumi Rakhsa Morcha, Adivasi Sena, Jharkhand Rajya Vishthapit Purnarvasit Jan Aayog and Jharkhand Bachao Andolan.
As part of the action plan, a team of tribal bodies will visit Tubed on October 9 to gather the support of concerned villagers and on October 11 the team will meet Stephen Marandi, chairman of an assembly sub-committee, to discuss the issue. Following this, a massive demonstration will be organised in the Jharkhand capital.
“In the first phase, as many as six villages will be affected by this project from which 6 million tonnes of coal is expected every year for 30 years. The affected villages include Ambajharan, Dhoniajharan, Dihi, Nawari, Mangra and Tubed. It is expected that as many as 7000 people belonging to the Oraon tribe will get affected as the villages are big,” Vasvi Kiro, a tribal activist and former member of State Commission for Women, who participated in the meeting informed.
“Apart from this, 750 villages will be affected by different allied plans under the project in different stages. The allied plan includes diversion of course of the Sukri river, constructing 20 feet roads and laying railway tracks for the project besides others,” she added.
The coal project is being established to cater to the needs of a 1000MW power project in West Bengal and 250MW power project in Chandrapura. An area of 750 acres of land is likely to get involved in the project on which Rs 1300 crore is likely to be spent every year.
