Assembly disrupted over Singrauli coal block row:Congress seeks committee inquiry, stages walks out

The ninth day of the Budget Session of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly witnessed intense exchanges after the opposition raised allegations of irregularities in the distribution of compensation linked to a coal block project in Singrauli district. During Question Hour, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar brought up the issue concerning land acquisition for a coal block operated by the Adani Group at Dhirouli in Singrauli. He informed the House that land from eight villages is being acquired for the project and, as per the Collector’s official list, 12,998 families have been identified as affected. Allegations of compensation irregularities Singhar alleged that several affected tribal families have not received full compensation. He further claimed that portions of the compensation amount were disbursed to individuals who were not genuine beneficiaries. Raising specific instances in the House, he alleged that ₹15,94,990 was deposited into the account of the wife of Station House Officer Jitendra Bhadauria, while ₹14,42,482 was transferred to Swati Singh, the wife of Traffic In-charge Deependra Singh Kushwaha. According to the Opposition, such transactions raise serious questions about the transparency and fairness of the compensation process. Singhar demanded that the matter be referred to a House committee for a thorough investigation. He stressed that tribal families whose land was acquired must receive their rightful dues and called for accountability if irregularities are proven. The allegations triggered uproar in the Assembly, with members from both sides engaging in heated arguments. Treasury benches countered the claims, while Opposition members insisted on a probe. Drug trade concerns raised in Malwa Amid the compensation controversy, BJP MLA from Jaora, Rajendra Pandey, raised a separate issue concerning the alleged rise of illegal narcotics trade in the Malwa region. Pandey stated that Malwa has historically been a peaceful area, but recent developments indicate a steady increase in drug-related activities. He claimed that after cannabis, opium, and poppy husk, the illegal manufacturing of MD drugs has also begun in parts of the region. He further alleged that illegal arms trafficking is taking place under the cover of the drug trade and urged the state government and administration to take stringent measures to curb these activities.