NTPC Coal Transportation : False Reply By DFO Hazaribagh In Jharkhand Assembly, Vigilance Probe Ordered By State Chief Secretary

Hazaribagh Western Forest Divisional Officer has been accused of giving false reply in Jharkhand Assembly at the behest of NTPC and now the Vigilance Department of the state has started investigation in the case of giving false and misleading answers on the question of coal transportation by road against Forest Clearance conditions in regards to NTPC Pakri Barwadih Coal Project at Barkagaon in Hazaribagh District of Jharkhand.

Hazaribagh Western Forest Divisional Officer Saba Alam in a reply to answer the question asked in the Assembly by MLA Lobin Hembram regarding coal transportation by road in violation of FC conditions in NTPC Pakri Barwadih Coal Project at Barkagaon in Hazaribagh District. Following the instructions of the Chief Secretary, the Forest Department has started an investigation into the matter of giving wrong and misleading answers at the behest of NTPC. Hearing was held on Tuesday by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Director Extension Forestry, Santal Pargana (Dumka).

The complainant in this case was activist and whistle blower Shri Mantu Soni.

Investigation started after complaint against PCCF from Chief Secretary

After a complaint was made to the Principal Chief Secretary, Forest Department, Government of Jharkhand, regarding the false and misleading answers given by DFO Saba Alam Ansari by asking the accused in the Assembly, Under Secretary to the Government, Mitranju Kumar, through the departmental letter number, contacted the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Jharkhand. After investigation within a month, a proposal was sought with a clear intention. After that, Shri Prabhakar Ojha, Under Secretary to the Government, again conducted an immediate investigation and sought a clear opinion from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Jharkhand. Despite this, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests did not take any action in this regard.

Main questions raised against DFO Saba Alam Ansari

1. Why the answer to question number two of the question asked by MLA Lobin Hembram in the Assembly was given by Mr. Saba Alam Ansari instead of at the departmental level, by asking the organization against whom the allegation is made (NTPC in this case)?
2. That the answer to question number two of the question asked in the Assembly by MLA Lobin Hembram was given by Shri Saba Alam Ansari to the Government/Department. On the other hand, the DFO refused to accept the clarification issued by NTPC saying that it was not a “Satisfactory Reply”.

3.That the question asked by MLA Lobin Hembram in the Assembly was related to (Forest Clearance) but the reply given by NTPC in which transportation has been mentioned by the Ministry of Environment, Delhi Office with reference to the Office Memorandum dated 27/29 October 2020 . When that memorandum was issued by the IA Division for EC, why was the answer to the question asked for transportation against FC conditions referred to the notification issued for EC? Can FC’s violation of conditions be answered through a memorandum issued to EC?

4. That DFO Saba Alam Ansari, in response to Question 2 asked in the Assembly on the issue of transit permit by the Forest Department for coal transportation by road to NTPC against the forest conditions even after construction of NTPC’s conveyor belt, said that Chief General Manager Pankri Barwadih has been informed through NTPC Limited’s Letter Number-23, dated February 10, 2023, that due to land acquisition and local law and order, the conveyor belt has not been fully functional. In the light of the office memorandum issued by the Environment Ministry on 27/29 October 2020, coal is being transported by road. When it is made clear in that office memorandum that coal can be transported by road till the conveyor system is built, there is no mention of the conveyor being operational, then Saba Alam Ansari, the department/government is accepting such misleading information and wrong interpretation.
5. The Office Memorandum of the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change was issued on the basis of notification of the Government of India. The said notification was published by amending the Environment (Protection) Act. In which there is no mention of amendment or relaxation in the terms and conditions of the FC, then why and under what circumstances, why the notification/office memorandum issued under the amendment in the rules on environmental protection is misused to respond to the violation of the terms and conditions of the FC?

An email query to CMD, NTPC, Shri Gurdeep Singh as well as to the Corporate Communications department of the PSU in this regard, by www.indianpsu.com – went unanswered.