More than 100 land losers of different projects of BCCL besides other landholders of coal-bearing areas of Dhanbad today carried out a massive protest against the anomalies prevailing in the registry office of the state government by organizing a foot march from Godhar More area of Dhanbad to Randhir Verma chowk near the district headquarters.

The protesters, led by district president of All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) Mantu Mahto, accused the BCCL management of acquiring a huge chunk of land from local residents at a throw-away price to launch new mining projects without proper planning or NOC, and then failing to implement the project.

Talking to the media, Mahto said, “BCCL failed to provide proper compensation to land losers of various projects including Mukunda Open Cast project where over 800 acres of land was acquired by BCCL. Many of the promised families are yet to get jobs in lieu of land lost.”

“As per the laid provisions in case of non-initiation of any project the land is to be returned to the land losers but coal companies including BCCL or Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) have failed to adhere to the law,” said Mahto.

“Though coal companies claim ownership of a vast area of land, these companies are devoid of valid land documents and thus we want the details of such land available before BCCL for which the proper registry has been carried out” said Manas Chatterjee, convener of Raiyat Visthapit Sangharsh Morcha.

“We also want the mines regulator, Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) to provide sanction to BCCL projects after finding out the land details besides considering the safety aspect,” said a land loser Khedan Mahto

“We will not allow the industries to set up projects in different parts of Jharkhand and provide jobs and other benefits to outsiders. The ones who lost the land should be provided with all the benefits of job and compensation in the projects for the sake of the land lost” said Mahto.