A group of social activists, accompanied by CPM and Congress leaders, on Monday claimed that the Bengal government has been carrying out basalt mining under the guise of the coal mining project at Birbhum’s Deocha-Pachami.
The activists cited state government documents to claim that the implementing agency of the proposed Deocha-Pachami coal mine project — the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited — had not submitted a coal mining lease application to the Union coal ministry, which had allocated the Birbhum coal block to it.
On February 5, during the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that work on the proposed coal mine would begin the next day, claiming that the second-largest coal mine in the world would act as the catalyst for Bengal’s economic growth.
She said the state would secure a long-term source of power generation for the next 100 years through this project that would create new jobs for over one lakh people.
“We have documents that prove there is no sign of a coal mine being set up in Deocha-Pachami. Instead, they have started a basalt mining project, which is a completely different micro-mining project expected to yield profits worth ₹5,600 crore by selling stones that are in huge demand for construction work,” Prasenjit Bose, an economist and activist, who has been fighting for tribal rights in the coal mine zone since 2022, said at a news meet on Monday.
“The cabinet-approved proposal for basalt mining at the coal mine site involved an area of 147 hectares, which qualifies as an A-category project and requires clearance from the central environment advisory committee and a mandatory public hearing. To avoid these criteria, they sought environmental clearance from the state authority for only 4.8 hectares of land, transforming it into a B-category project, which does not need any public hearing or scrutiny by central authorities,” alleged Bose, who has filed a case against the coal mine project at Calcutta High Court.
The high court will hear the matter on Wednesday.
At the news meet, Bose was accompanied by social activist and Jai Kisan Movement national convener Avik Saha, CPM’s Birbhum district committee secretary Gautam Ghosh and Congress state general secretary Ali Imran Ramz. Two representatives from the protesting tribal outfit Adivasi Adhikar Mahasabha of Deocha-Pachami also joined in to say their voices had been suppressed.
“We conducted the news meet to support the poor and voiceless tribal people of the Deocha-Pachami area and to expose the ring of corruption surrounding the Deocha-Pachami coal mine project,” said Saha.
Ghosh said that the CPM would hold a convention in Birbhum’s Suri next month to make people aware of how the government was conducting basalt business in the name of a coal mine.
Bose pointed out alleged discrepancies involving the private agency tasked with the basalt mining project.
“The company that was issued the letter to execute the basalt mining in Deocha-Pachami last year was suddenly acquired by another company in April this year for only ₹4.2 crore. This hints at possible financial corruption. Otherwise, how could a company with a potential profit of ₹1,500 crore (from basalt excavation) be acquired for just ₹4.2 crore?” asked Bose, demanding a judicial probe into administrative and financial irregularities.
Bureaucrat’s rebuttal
A senior bureaucrat at Nabanna said these claims were unjustified.
“It is entirely up to the state government or the WBPDCL on how the project will proceed. Everyone knows coal can’t be excavated without removing the basalt layer. It is the implementing agency’s decision to begin work on a small stretch or a larger one. Those accusing the WBPDCL should not forget that the coal mine is not a yearlong scheme — it will continue for the next 30–40 years,” said the bureaucrat.
“By the time the basalt layer is peeled off in small stretches at a time, we will get all required permits (from the Centre),” he added.
“Secondly, the allegations involving the private agency have no connection with the government. If the agency violates company rules, a probe will be done,” he said.
Anubrata surrender
Birbhum Trinamool strongman Anubrata Mondal on Monday surrendered before a Bolpur court and was granted bail in connection with the alleged police abuse case. In May, Mondal was accused of verbally abusing the Bolpur inspector-in-charge and his family members.