Sajal Kumar from Dharmajaigarh in Raigarh district says on 28th February public hearing for environment clearance for coal mines for DB power all the 438 people spoke against giving land to the company. Now most of the farmers who opposed giving land have got a registered thanks giving letter from the company which contains a post card as acknowledgement. It seems it is a ploy and I appeal the farmers to not accept this letter, he says. Sajal can be reached at 09826971978

Vipin Mishra from Raigarh says that land mafia is very active these days in the area. Recently 194 cases came out where they have sold government and community land. In another interesting case 1500 acre of land was bought from villagers saying it will be used for growing herbs for medicines by Baba Ramdev. Now a power plant is coming up on that land. Villagers say they gave land for herbs and do not want a power plant but administration is hellbent to help the industry against people’s wishes by arranging public hearing. Vipin can be reached on 09981904606

Sourav Jain is telling us about a rally of 15,000 landless people in Delhi on 7th March demanding implementation of land laws in the country. Assembled under the banner of Ekta Parishad 25,000 landless people had marched from Gwalior to Delhi in 2007 and government had made promises to people which they are yet to fulfill. People demanded the same in the Delhi rally ysesterday

Himanshu Kumar is talking about a Adivasi rally in Valsad district of Gujrat which was a culmination of a 2 week long rally to apprise the tribals about constitutional rights of the adivasis. Dilip Singh Bhuria who was one of the architects of the 5th schedule of the constitution said we need not demand anything from the government but we should declare that no one can come to our land without our permission, constitution gives us that right. The meeting resolved to continue the same process with adivasis in other states

Rajesh Tripathi from Jan Chetna Raigarh is telling that in a public hearing for environment clearnace of land acquisition for coal mines of Dainik Bhaskar power plant in Dharmajaigarh on 28th february not a single person spoke in favor of the company and a crowd of more than 10,000 people from nearby 25 villages refused to give land. Rajesh ji also thanks CGnet Swara as after hearing reports in Swara several national reporters were present to witness the public hearing