CSEB’s Silence on BALCO’s Illegal Railway Sparks Controversy
Lack of Action Raises Eyebrows as Trees Disappear, Public Path Blocked
Korba: BALCO is laying an illegal railway line on CSEB land, raising serious questions about CSEB’s silence. The land, initially a forest, was allocated to the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board in 1975-76 for a 200 MW project, long before the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. This land was leased for 99 years, making private construction on it currently illegal. However, CSEB officials have shown little interest in protecting this land.
A year ago, the Executive Engineer of CSEB raised concerns about BALCO’s illegal construction of a bleaching plant on 45.87 decimals of their land, but no action was taken. Now, BALCO’s railway line encroachment on hundreds of acres remains unchallenged.
Indifference Towards Disappearing Trees
Hundreds of trees have been cut for this project without permission from the Forest or Revenue Departments, which typically requires permits and compensation. The SDM can file cases and impose fines, but no action has been taken. This contrasts sharply with the heavy fines imposed for similar offenses during the Manikpur expansion project.
City Government’s Selective Enforcement
While the city government is quick to demolish illegal constructions by the poor, it has ignored BALCO’s unauthorized railway line and bleaching plant. These constructions require written permission from the Municipal Commissioner, yet no steps have been taken to halt or demolish them. The administration’s selective enforcement seems to target only the poor, sparing BALCO’s illegal activities.
Public Path Obstructed Without Repercussions
BALCO has blocked the public path from Parsabhatha to Amar Singh Hotel, installing a high-security gate that restricts access. Despite previous interventions to remove similar obstructions, no action has been taken. This selective enforcement and lack of action have emboldened BALCO to continue its illegal activities unchecked.
Residents now hope that the Labour Minister will intervene to curb BALCO’s growing impunity.
