Thousands of villagers, including a large number of women from 14 villages, staged a sit-in protest opposing the proposed coal mine.
RAIGARH (India CSR): In a major development amid escalating opposition from villagers, Jindal Power Limited (JPL) has formally requested the district administration to withdraw its application for the public hearing related to the proposed Gare Pelma Sector-1 coal block in Raigarh.
On December 29, JPL issued an official letter to the administration seeking the cancellation of the public hearing process. The move comes after continuous protests by thousands of villagers across multiple days, including women and youth, who strongly opposed the proposed coal mining project.
Confirming the latest update, Gharghoda Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Durga Prasad stated that the administration has already initiated the procedure to cancel the public hearing.
“The process to cancel the public hearing is being carried out by the administration,” SDM Durga Prasad confirmed.
The proposed public hearing had turned into a major flashpoint in the region following public unrest and allegations that earlier attempts to conduct the hearing were not transparent. Villagers maintained that mining would severely impact land, livelihood, and local ecology.
(India CSR)
