Amid protests, tree felling begins to expand mine in Chhattisgarh's biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Arand
Ambikapur (PTI): Tree felling for Parsa East and Kete Basan (PEKB) phase-2 extension coal mines in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Arand region of Chhattisgarh's Surguja district has begun amid police security cover.
Activists alleged police on Thursday detained those who were protesting against coal mining in the Hasdeo area.
The Opposition Congress raised the issue in the state Assembly and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of favouring industrialists.
The local administration claimed it had all the necessary permissions to go ahead with tree felling, while police officials said they had visited the residences of some locals to advise them not to create a law and order situation.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai told reporters in the Assembly complex that he has received information about opposition by people (against deforestation) but no arrest has been made.
"The forest department started felling trees for PEKB phase 2 in Udaipur development block of Surguja district this (Thursday) morning. To maintain law and order, police personnel were deployed there. Necessary clearances have been granted," a district administration official said on Thursday.
The state government had granted permission for non-forestry use of 1,136.328 hectares of forest land for PEKKB phase-II mine (Surguja), which was allotted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) last year.
According to officials, the first phase of mining on 762 hectare of land in PEKB block allotted in 2007 to RVUNL began in 2013 and has been completed. Local villagers under the banner of Hasdeo Arand Bachao Sangharsh Samiti had been protesting against allotment of these mines for several years.
The forest department had in the past tried to launch a tree cutting exercise to pave the way for the start of the PEKB phase 2 coal mine, but that triggered strong opposition from local villagers, which forced the authorities to halt their action.
Alok Shukla, Convener of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA) which has been at the forefront of the protest against allotment of these coal mines, on Thursday said it is very unfortunate the state government has started felling of trees for PEKB phase 2.
"Earlier also attempts were made to chop trees. Local gram sabhas have not given their consent for coal mine in the area. The Chhattisgarh Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution on July 26 last year that mining activities will not be carried out in Hasdeo area," he said.
"Instead of honouring that resolution, the newly elected government on Thursday morning launched cutting of trees by deploying heavy security force after detaining our friends of Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, including sarpanch of Ghatbarra Jainandan Porte and Thakur Ram", Shukla said.
Shukla claimed he and his friend were intercepted by some persons who were clad in civilian clothes in Katghora (Korba district) when the two were heading towards Hasdeo.
"We don't know whether they were police or not. They picked us and dropped us off in Bilaspur and didn't allow us to go there. We strongly condemn the action and demand for immediate halt on the deforestation drive going on," he said.
Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant raised the issue in the Assembly.
"Felling of trees has started (in Hasdeo area) and 30,000 trees have been chopped. Tribals who were protesting against tree felling were arrested. A resolution had been passed during our (Baghel) government to save Hasdeo. We want the government to stop Hasdeo from being destroyed. Don't hand over the poor's land and jungle (to industrialists)," Mahant said.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
