Ranchi, March 31: Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju on Tuesday announced that the party will launch a movement against displacement in the state.
He accused mining companies of indiscriminately acquiring land and displacing people without providing proper compensation, causing significant hardship to affected communities.
“The party has decided to start a movement against mining lobbies and the administration. It is the responsibility of the district administration to implement the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, but we have seen several violations of this law in Jharkhand,” Raju said while addressing the media in Ranchi.
He further claimed that hundreds of farmers in the Barkagaon constituency of Hazaribag have not received compensation for their land for several years.
Raju also pointed out that land acquired under the Coal Bearing Areas Act is eligible for compensation. However, he alleged that local authorities have ignored central government rules to benefit mining companies.
He added that these issues were discussed during a 10-day training camp for newly elected district presidents in West Singhbhum district, which concluded on Tuesday.
During the camp, the party also decided to spread awareness about the rights provided under the Panchayat Extension of Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act. The Jharkhand government had notified the PESA rules in January to empower tribal communities with self-governance in scheduled areas.
Around 2,000 villages in Jharkhand fall under the PESA framework, and the party plans to launch awareness programmes in these areas.
“Our leader Rahul Gandhi has also promised to visit Jharkhand and interact with traditional Gram Sabha leaders regarding PESA rules,” Raju said.
Jharkhand Congress President Keshav Mahato Kamlesh and other senior leaders were also present at the press conference.