The Tribal Advisory Council (a statutory body constituted under the provisions of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India) of Jharkhand on Thursday evening recommended disallowing the proposed construction of the Lugu Pahar hydel project of DVC in a major victory for tribal religious heads.

The Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) in a meeting chaired by chief minister Hemant Soren on Thursday recommended against allowing the construction of the Lugu Pahar hydel pump storage project at Lugu Hills in the Gomia block of Bokaro.

“We will not allow it to hurt the sentiments of tribals. Lugu Pahar is considered to be a religious heritage of the Santhali tribe and we do not want construction to hinder tribes from practising their faith,” said Soren after the meeting.

Incidentally, a delegation of tribal religious heads in mid-October had met Soren and apprised about resentment among Santhal tribals due to the proposed 1500MW Lugu Pahar Pumped Storage hydel power plant of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).

The delegation of Lugu Buru Ghanta Bari Dhorom Garh led by religious head (Desh Pargana Baba) Baiju Murmu requested the chief minister to cancel the hydel pumped storage project of DVC on Lugu Pahar.

“Lugu Pahar is the sacred religious heritage of Santhal tribals. It is full of natural beauty and forest wealth. Setting up of hydel power plant would ruin its sanctity,” Baiju Murmu had informed Soren during the meeting.

“The Lugu Pahar also has Lugu Baba cave, the centre of the sacred Mahadharma place of the tribals, popularly known by the name of Lugu Buru Ghanta Bari Dhorom Gadh. There is a rush of devotees here every Amavasya and Kartik Purnima. We have heard that DVC has conducted surveys and tried to assure tribals about developing the site. However, we know that these assurances would fall flat once the project starts,” the delegation had apprised the chief minister.

In a communique issued by the chief minister’s secretariat on Thursday the TAC had recommended considering the districts and police stations established in the state by January 26, 1950, for sale and purchase of tribal land under the Act. The TAC members said that police station limits used to be larger in 1950 compared to present limits.

Section 46 of the CNT Act restricts the sale of tribal land outside the local police station area.