Spokespersons: Shri Harish Chaudhary, Shri Jitu Patwari, Shri Umang Singhar and Kamleshwar Patel: They said a fact-finding committee constituted by the All-India Congress Committee had found “grave irregularities” on the ground and accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh(MP) of large-scale violations of environmental, wildlife and tribal laws in awarding coal mines in Singrauli district of the state to the Adani Group, and demanded an immediate investigation and cancellation of the allotted mines.

The Congress leaders alleged that over 2,600 hectares of land, including around 1,400 hectares of forest land, had been allotted for the coal block, with large-scale tree felling carried out without proper consent of Gram Sabhas and in violation of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, Fifth Schedule provisions and the Forest Rights Act. They informed, local residents and even elected representatives were initially denied access to the area, with heavy police deployment restricting movement.

The leaders further alleged irregularities in surveys and compensation, stating that only 554 hectares of the total land was properly surveyed and that landowners did not receive compensation. Shri Umang Singhar claimed that after mining activities in Hasdeo, Chhattisgarh, the Adani Group was allotted the Suliari underground mine and Dhirauli open-cast mine in Singrauli. He said that about 2,672 hectares of forest land was handed over for these projects, involving the felling of nearly 6,00,000 trees.

According to him, coal reserves worth over Rs. 11 lakh crores were given to Adani for just Rs. 204 crore, which he described as an “institutional fraud”. He said - the 2013 Land Acquisition Act was bypassed using the Coal Bearing Areas Act, PESA provisions were ignored, and gram panchayat consent was not obtained. He also claimed that although the Centre had described the area as falling under the Fifth Schedule, the state government violated it to facilitate land transfer, and while it was told by the government in the Lok Sabha that the area falls under the Fifth Schedule, the state minister told the Assembly that it does not.

Singhar said that when the mine was to be allotted to Adani, the area was removed from the Fifth Schedule. Accusing the government of changing rules to favour Adani, he asked whether this was not a well-planned conspiracy. He added that no meeting of the Tribal Advisory Committee was convened.

Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee’s President Shri Jitu Patwari said Madhya Pradesh has the country’s largest tribal population and forest cover, yet tribal land was being handed over to “mineral mafias”. He claimed that around 1.46 lakh hectares of land had been given away, and more than 5,000 mines were allotted by the BJP government. He also alleged restrictions on access to mining areas and the suppression of local voices through heavy police deployment.

Shri Harish Chaudhary said that the government’s actions contradicted its public commitments on environmental protection alleging that while slogans were promoted, forests and tribal livelihoods were being destroyed. Monday, December 15, 2025