Bhubaneswar: Environmentalists from the state have opposed the allocation of coal blocks in the state to private players and sought the intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard.
Prafulla Samantara, a leading environmentalist and president of Lokshakti Abhiyan, said that the CM must oppose the alleged unilateral decision of the Union government like other neighbouring states and should not hand over the natural resources to private players.
“The decision to give the natural resources into the hands of private players is against the federal structure of the country and it snatches away the voice of the state in the whole process. Three states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra have already raised their objections to the move. Now time is ripe for the CM to oppose it,” he said.
He also added, “The Jharkhand government has even moved the Supreme Court against the undemocratic move. It has alleged that the state was not taken into confidence while taking this decision. The petition also cited the threat the projects pose to the tribal community.”
Samantara claimed that close to 33,000 acres of forest and agricultural lands will be put under threat by the action while putting into questions the livelihood and shelters of thousands of people. He also added that the actions can also add burden to the rivers of Odisha and lead to their pollution.
Senior journalist Rabi Das said that coal is directly linked to electricity and the whole plan to hand over the natural resources to the private players can prove costly for the state. He demanded the withdrawal of coal auction and closure of mining activities in forests and agricultural lands of the state.
“In Chenipada area people of 20 villages have been opposing to mining on agricultural land for the last 15 years. The state government has the constitutional responsibility to protect our non-renewable resources as well as the sustainable livelihood along with states federal power,” Samanatara said.