Activists, Opposition parties seek probe into West Bengal’s Deocha-Pachami coal project

Activists, lawyers and representatives of the Opposition political parties on Monday (August 18, 2025) unanimously demanded a judicial probe into the Deocha-Pachami-Dewanganj-Harisingha (DPDH) coal mining project, over allegations of financial and administrative irregularities. 

“The West Bengal government is operating a standalone basalt mine in the name of a coal mining project. There is an unholy nexus between the State and the Centre. The financial arrangement behind DPDH indicates grave wrongdoing. We demand the project be stopped immediately and a judicial probe initiated,” economist and activist Prasenjit Bose said on Monday, after the Calcutta High Court heard his petition regarding the same.

On Monday, the Calcutta High Court sought a response from the West Bengal government on the DPDH coal block issue within the next two days.

It may be recalled that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the commencement of mining work at the DPDH coal mining project in the Mohammed Bazar block of Birbhum district in February this year. She claimed that it is the largest coal block in India and the second-largest coal block in the world, with estimated reserves of about 1,240 million tonnes (MT) of coal and 675 MT of basalt.

However, owing to the thick overburden of basalt rock over the region’s coal deposits, the executing agency, the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL), is currently excavating basalt. This had led to questions among activists over why a power generation company was engaged in basalt mining at the DPDH coal block.

Mr. Bose claimed that a company called ‘Trancemarine and Confreight Logistics Private Limited’ was selected as the mine developer and operator (MDO) following a tendering process by the WBPDCL for basalt mining at DPDH.

“However, in April this year, the company was acquired by another corporation, ‘Himadri Speciality Chemical Private Ltd’, in direct violation of the tender agreement,” Mr. Bose alleged.

In the letter of award for the MDO contract issued by the WBPDCL and accessed by The Hindu, clause 4 prohibits a change of ownership of the selected company during the contract period. 

Mr. Bose also accused the government of ‘salami-slicing’ the 3,540-acre project area into smaller parts and “miscategorising the project to bypass environmental clearances and public hearings required of a coal mine of this scale.”

Similar allegations had been made by Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Mohammad Salim on July 3, 2025. He, too, sought a judicial inquiry into the matter.

Lawyer and president of the Jai Kisan Andolan, Avik Saha, claimed that the West Bengal government is unable to give satisfactory answers to the questions being raised in the petition at the Calcutta High Court.

“All official documents pertaining to such government projects, by law, should be available in the public domain. But no papers concerning the DPDH project were made public by the West Bengal government… Documents acquired through the court reveal that profits from basalt mining are meant to benefit a select group of people. We demand a judicial inquiry so that the truth about this may be uncovered,” Mr. Saha said.

Goutam Ghosh, Secretary of the CPI(M)’s Birbhum District Committee, expressed concerns over the damage to natural resources, including agricultural land, being incurred in the Mohammed Bazar block due to the coal and basalt mine project. 

“The government did not keep its promises to the locals from whom they are acquiring land for this project. Based on our surveys in the villages of the project area, like Mathurapahari, Sagarbandi, and Chanda, only 20% to 30% land givers have legitimately received jobs as was promised in the compensation. The local administration is also cracking down heavily on any resistance to this project by the tribals of the area,” tribal activist Jagannath Tudu said.