-The Hindu   Blocks not actually within the biodiversity-rich region, he says Stage-I forest clearance granted to three blocks in the region Ramesh over-ruled advice of his own Forest Advisory Committee to grant approval The bastion of Hasdeo-Arand has finally been broken. One year after saying that the coalfields of this heavily-forested, mineral rich region of Chhattisgarh would never be open to miners, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has finally granted a stage-I forest clearance to...

P.V. RAJAGOPAL and Ekta Parishad, the non-governmental organisation he leads, have been championing the cause of land and forest rights of tribal and Dalit communities over the past two decades. The organisation is committed to non-violent, Gandhian forms of struggle and has recorded a number of success stories in ensuring and legitimising the land rights of deprived people, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa. In this interview to...

If you can’t beat them, join them. The fight for land between villagers and industrialists gets a unique twist in coal-rich belts of Karanpura valley — comprising cheek by jowl blocks Barkagaon and Keredari (Hazaribagh) and Tandwa (Chatra) — with residents asking the Centre’s permission to commercially exploit the area’s natural resources instead of allowing investors from outside. Karanpura is the state’s green bowl for vegetables, but it sits on rich coal...

A Supreme Court-appointed committee finds large-scale illegal mining in Karnataka with the connivance of officials. THE issue of illegal mining in Karnataka and the large-scale corruption in political and public life resulting from it refuses to stay away from the headlines. The sordid tale of mining-linked corruption (Cover Story; Frontline, July 16, 2010) has had a few recurring characters – a beleaguered but defiant Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister B.S....

Despite objections from the coal ministry and concerns of the Planning Commission, a GoM under finance minister Pranab Mukherjee - discussing the new Mines and Mineral (regulation and development) Act 2010 - approved the proposal of sharing 26% net annual profits from the mining activity with displaced locals. The Bill replacing a 53-year-old law can be introduced in the ongoing session, minister for mines BK Handique said after the GoM meet...