New Delhi, July 9 -- The Congress on Thursday alleged that the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh had facilitated coal mining in Singrauli through fraudulent clearances, claiming that fake Gram Sabhas were convened and the thumb impressions of deceased persons used to obtain consent for an Adani Group company's project. Congress Working Committee member K Raju and Adivasi Congress president Dr Vikrant Bhuria termed the alleged scam "Singrauli Files" and sought a court-monitored CBI probe.
The party said RTI documents and death certificates showed that fake Gram Sabha resolutions had been prepared to clear Stratatech Mineral Resources Pvt Ltd, an Adani Group company, for mining in the Dhirauli coal block.
Citing examples, Bhuria said the thumb impression of Brijbhan Singh, who died in 2014, appeared on a Gram Sabha register dated November 2021, while Phuleshwari Singh, who died in 2018, was shown as having consented in the same proceedings. He alleged that several other deceased persons' thumb impressions had been used to secure approval for diverting forest land. Tribal leaders Sumaru Singh and Sonmati Singh, who are educated and usually sign documents, were falsely recorded as having affixed thumb impressions, he said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.