Jharkhand
,
Bhoria
,
Godda
Published :
May 2017
|
Updated :
Families Displaced by Lalmatia Mines in Jharkhand Demand Relocation Away from Blasting Sites
Reported by
Alok
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
7507
People affected
2003
Year started
1978
Land area affected
Households affected
7507
People Affected
2003
Year started
1978
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Mining
Reason/Cause of conflict
Coal Mining
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
Sector
Mining
Reason/Cause of conflict
Coal Mining
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

Families displaced by the Rajmahal Coal Mining Project in Lalmatia have accused mining giant Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) of incomplete rehabilitation and resettlement. The residents of Bhoda Tola Bhoria village claim that they were displaced by the project and were shifted to the present location. However, the coal mines are barely 25 metres away from the village. The residents say that continuous blasting to extract the coal has made their life difficult and prone to risk as the walls in their homes have developed cracks. They have also claimed that the company has been assuring an alternate place for rehabilitation but not much progress has been made. The rehabilitation site near Lohandia Basti is still under development. Angry residents recalled that ECL had also promised electricity, pond and medical facilities after the displacement but none of them had been fulfilled yet. According to ECL, around 1,564 families have been rehabilitated so far from Lalmatia, Dakaita and Ishwar Marandi Nagar. The company claims it has deposited INR 60 lakh with the state government for land based compensation to the affected families. Open cast coal mining in the region was started in 2003. Tala Marandi, a resident, told LCW that the people were "very angry". He pointed out that the displaced families were living under stress as the blasting shook their houses regularly. "A meeting with the district administration will be held soon. The company has deposited compensation and other amounts with the government. Now, mostly it's a matter of monitoring and ensuring that the villagers get their rights," Marandi added. ECL authorities maintain that the resettlement and rehabilitation money was deposited with the district administration. "In case the government informs us of any discrepancies or shortcomings, we will immediately look into the matter," an official said. As of 2021, ECL is reportedly yet to rehabilitate nearly half of the people affected and address their concerns.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for rehabilitation

Complaint against procedural violations

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Forest and Non-Forest

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

1000

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Godda District Administration

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

No

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Eastern Coalfield Limited

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Alok
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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for rehabilitation

Complaint against procedural violations

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

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