The CSE, an environmental organization based in Delhi, through the presentation of a 365-page report recently claimed that the iron producing districts of Bastar and Dantewada in Chattisgarh are amongst the 10 most backwards ones in India. The report underscored that it was evident that the wealth generated from the iron ore was not reaching the resident of these districts.

 

Governor E.S.L Narasimhan and Sunita Narain, director, CSE released this report which bore the title ‘Rich Lands, Poor People - Is Sustainable Mining Possible’. The report states that Chattisgarh performed disappointingly in terms of human development indicators and that almost all its districts come in the category of 150 backward districts of India. The report has raised the hackles of the Chattisgarh government, causing it to question its genuineness.

 

Rubbishing the report, the Chattisgarh government has stated that the report looks like a collection of randomly picked information from unverified newspapers, statements made by some people as well as opinions of those who believe in certain philosophy and hold their own point of view. It further pointed out that the report bears a number of factual errors also.