Gram sabhas in Hasdeo Arand in Surguja region of Chhattisgarh have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to stop the auction of five coal blocks in the region for commercial mining on June 18.
Nine sanpanchs and a janpad member of Podi Uproda Panchayat in Korba district wrote the letter to the prime minister on Tuesday and urged that current auctions be put on hold. They also said no coal blocks in Hasdeo Arand region should be put up for auction or allotment.
A total of 16 coal blocks in Chhattisgarh are set to be auctioned on June 18. They include five each in Hasdeo Arand and Mand Raigarh, two each in Bisrampur and Tatapani-Ramkhola and one each in Korba and Panchbahani.
