The Chhattisgarh government hinted at the likelihood of moving the Supreme Court against a recent ruling, by a division bench of the High Court, upholding a single judge’s providing a clean chit to the Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) last month in an encroachment case.

Revenue Minister Amar Agrawal, who drew flak from the opposition Congress in the Assembly for not contesting the case seriously to ‘protect’ BALCO Chairman Anil Agrawal, asserted that the government will take appropriate action after analysing the February 25 verdict.

Replying to Leader of the Opposition Ravindra Choubey, the Minister said that the Tehsildar, Korba, registered 13 cases of encroachment against BALCO that possesses 2,718 acres as against official allotment of 914 acres for its Korba plant.

Regarding the disputed acreage of revenue and forest land, he said that the state appealed to a two-judge bench.

Mr Choubey and ex-chief minister Ajit Jogi accused the regime of leniency for BALCO in connection with illegal land acquisition and last year’s chimney collapse that claimed 40 lives. They demanded that the government must appeal against the Court order and engage the Advocate-General to argue the case.

UNI