Sat Mar 29 17:19:37 UTC 2025: ## BJP Leader Accuses TMC of Scam in Deocha Pachami Coal Project Job Allocation

**Kolkata, March 29, 2025** – Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of a scam in the allocation of jobs related to the Deocha Pachami coal mining project. Adhikari alleges that instead of prioritizing local residents who lost land due to the project, jobs are being given to relatives and associates of TMC leaders, specifically targeting Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam.

The Deocha Pachami project, touted as India’s largest coal block, involves a ₹35,000 crore investment. The BJP leader claims that 26 individuals close to Islam have secured jobs, despite a government compensation package that includes employment for each affected family. He further alleges irregularities in land titling, with land records going missing from the District Land and Land Reforms Office, prompting an FIR. Adhikari also questioned the lack of transparency in the tree relocation process, claiming that none of the relocated trees have survived.

Islam vehemently denies the allegations, challenging Adhikari to prove his claims. Locals who support the project, and claim to have willingly given up their land for jobs, also held a press conference refuting the allegations. They expressed their support for the project’s industrialization benefits.

The allegations come a day after civil rights groups released a report alleging threats against locals and demanding their right to participate in decisions concerning the mining project. The controversy underscores the complexities surrounding the massive project and highlights ongoing tensions between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP.

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