RAIPUR, Feb 7: Opposition Congress on Wednesday created an uproar in the Chhattisgarh Assembly over tree felling for a coal mine project in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo-Arand area, saying it will affect flora and fauna and tribals in the region and demanding discussion over it.
Amid pandemonium, the proceedings had to be adjourned once and the Congress legislators, who trooped into the well of the House after the chair disallowed their demand for discussion, were also suspended.
During zero hour, leader of opposition Charan Das Mahant moved an adjournment motion notice, which is meant to draw the attention of the House to a matter of public importance, on the issue.
Mahant said the state Assembly had unanimously passed a private member resolution urging the Centre to cancel all coal blocks in Hasdeo area, in the state’s northern region, in July 2022 (during the previous Congress government).
The government had then written to the Centre in this regard but no action was taken, he said.
Surprisingly, Mahant claimed, ahead of the chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s oath-taking ceremony in the newly elected BJP government, the principal chief conservator of forest issued an order on December 11 last year to fell 15,307 trees on 91.3 hectares of forest land for a coal mine project in Hasdeo area.
If the Assembly had already passed a private member resolution cancelling mines in Hasdeo area, how such an order could be issued by the forest department, he said, demanding a discussion on the adjournment motion notice.
The deforestation and coal mining will have an adverse impact on the biodiversity of Hasdeo. The mining will affect Hasdeo river that flows through the area and Bango dam which helps in irrigation, while it will also trigger human-elephant conflicts, he said.
Senior Congress MLA and former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel called the matter a serious issue and said that the coal mining in Hasdeo area will not only affect flora and fauna but also the tribals living in the region.
Baghel and other Congress members also sought discussion on the adjournment motion.
State’s parliamentary affairs minister Brijmohan Agrawal urged the chair to reject the demand on the grounds that in the ongoing budget session, the members will get sufficient time to raise issues during budget discussion.
However, Congress continued to demand for a discussion, raising slogans.
Assembly Speaker Raman Singh disallowed the discussion on the adjournment motion notice and said the members would get an opportunity to raise the issues during discussion on department-wise demand proposals for the budget. The speaker’s decision led to pandemonium in the House.
The ruckus prompted the speaker to adjourn the proceedings for five minutes.
After the House reassembled, Bhupesh Baghel again raised the issue saying the treasury bench should admit the demand and sought discussion on the motion
When the speaker proceeded with further listed business of the day, Congress legislators trooped into the well of the House while sloganeering and were automatically suspended.
The speaker later revoked their suspension. (PTI)
