Opposition’s forest, mining claims trigger Assembly uproar in Chhattisgarh

Congress MLAs created a ruckus in the Chhattisgarh Assembly on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) after their demand for a discussion on alleged rampant mining and deforestation was disallowed by the Speaker.

The Opposition legislators alleged that the State’s Vishnu Deo Sai-led Bharatiya Janata Party Government was working for the benefit of industrialists and capitalists.

Moving an adjournment motion notice, Congress members claimed that areas such as Surguja, Hasdeo Aranya coalfields, Tamnar and Bastar were witnessing mass protests and road blockades, alleging that fake public hearings were being conducted for the approval of coal mines.

The Congress alleged that unprecedented deforestation was being witnessed in the Tamnar area in Raigarh, and large-scale felling of trees was allegedly taking place on forest and revenue land.

Citing Hasdeo Arand—often referred to as the ‘lungs of Chhattisgarh’— the Opposition MLAs said that deforestation in the region has already led to loss of lakhs of trees, and poses serious threats to biodiversity, water resources and elephant corridors. They warned that continued deforestation could intensify human-elephant conflict and worsen water scarcity.

The adjournment motion statement also said “there are widespread instances of fraudulent public hearings, public protests, lathi-charges, sit-ins, and road blockades”.

Responding to the allegations, Forest and Climate Change Minister Kedar Kashyap said the Vishnu Deo Sai Government was sensitive towards forests, wildlife, tribals and the environment, and was committed to their protection and conservation, even as he rejected claims of fake public hearings, protests and lathi-charges.

He cited the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, to claim that Chhattisgarh’s forest cover had increased by 94.75 sq km, while the area under ‘trees outside forests’ had risen by 702 sq km, the highest in the country, he said.

Mr. Kashyap said that over the past two years, only five mining cases involving 1,300.869 hectares of forest land had been diverted under the Forest (Conservation) Act, strictly in accordance with rules and after obtaining approval from the Central Government. He also refuted claims of large-scale deforestation and quoted tree-felling figures way lower than those claimed by the Opposition. He added that compensatory afforestation was being carried out in all forest land diversion cases.

After the Minister’s reply, Speaker Raman Singh disallowed the adjournment motion notice, and Congress members started sloganeering against the government. They then trooped in the Well of the House, following which the Speaker announced the suspension of 30 Congress members. The suspension was revoked by the Speaker a few minutes later.