After BJD Voted out of Power and Liku Sahu elected as MLA after defeating BJD’s Pranab Balabantray, the violence in Dharamshala has taken a different form
By RTI Acivist Pradip Pradhan
By Anurjay -December 16, 2025:BHUBANESWAR:After the BJD was removed from power and after Liku Sahu was elected as the MLA after defeating BJD MLA Pranab Balabantray, the violence in Dharamshala has taken a different form. The politics of violence practiced by Pranab Balawantray has been started by the same Kartikarma MLA Liku Sahu against Pranab.
This is increasing. Some people or the media are calling it political violence or telling the story of a conflict between two groups. This may be half true. But the truth is who will have control over the theft of mines or loot. That is, who will control this huge theft of coal and who will enjoy the money generated from this theft to their heart’s content.
As a reader, it should be known that Dharmashala is not just a geographical area. It is a hilly region of light mineral deposits of black stone. Around 2000 acres of hills like Dankari, Bichhakhandi and Aruha are rich in lakhs of tons of black stone. Since sand, gravel and chips are required for the construction of modern houses and roads, all eyes are on the black stone in the hills of this region.
The foundation of this black stone theft in this area was laid under the rule and guidance of the then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The so-called Tanua leader of BJD, Shri Pranab Prakash Das, former MLA from Dharmashala, Pranab Balawantara, and the BJD party’s Kuji leaders, Bobby Das and Pranab Balawantara, had planned to expand their economic empire by looting this black stone, provide BJD with election money, and organize public gatherings by looting it and opening theaters where necessary.
This valuable black stone looting started in 2005 through mining businessman Shribesha Jena. Ignoring all the rules, regulations and laws, Shribesha Jena was given a 40-acre hill lease. The foundation of theft and looting was laid. The district administration gave full support to their looting of the Dankari hills. The District Magistrate, ADM, SP and Tehsildars appointed in Jajpur district and earned crores of rupees by participating in this looting. According to an estimate made by us in 2022, BJD party leaders and mafia members looted Rs 20,000 crore between 2010 and 2022.
Now let’s move on to another topic. How did this stolen information come to the public?
Sarveshwar Behura, a young social worker and RTI activist from Dharmashala area, brought the information of this great loot to the public under the RTI Act. He gave all this information through the media and filed a case in the High Court. In the next stage, he filed a case in the National Green Tribunal against the looting of Dankari hills. In 2018, the NGT ordered a stop to this mining theft. Shribesha Jena challenged the NGT order in the Supreme Court. After Sarveshwar fought in the Supreme Court for 5 years, the court lifted the stay and ordered the NGT to decide, which is still pending. The history of how Pranab Balawantray looted the Dankari hills is in this link.
Another hill is Bichkhandi. The heinous theft of black stone started in this hill in 2010. This looting was carried out under the leadership of Pranab Balawantray. The notorious mining mafia of the state was engaged by the BJD for this stone looting. Sarveshwar Behura revealed all the details of this looting and filed a case with the Lokayukta in 2022.
The Lokayukta directed the Vigilance to investigate.
The Vigilance did not find complete information even after investigating for many years. But the report that came out was horrifying. Black stone worth Rs 200 crore was looted in three years. The Vigilance registered an FIR against the then District Magistrate Ranjan Kumar Das and 5 Tehsildars of Dharmashala.
Similarly, Sarveshwar Behura filed a complaint with the Lokayukta against the looting of black stones in Aruha Pahad. The Lokayukta ordered an investigation by its crime branch. But despite the Lokayukta’s investigation, the looting of minerals did not stop. Pranab Balawantray and the mining mafia continued to loot with all their might. The money from this loot was spent on Shankha Bhawan. The state government is losing thousands of crores of rupees in revenue due to illegal mining. But the Sarja did not take any steps to stop this looting. On the contrary, Bobby Das was encouraging this looting even more.Sarveshwar had to pay a heavy price for the opposition to the mining loot.
1, BJD goons burnt Sarveshwar’s paddy fields.
2. BJD leader Pranab Balawantray and the mining mafia planted bombs on March 27, 2021 to kill Sarveshwar. Sarveshwar narrowly escaped.
3. Bobby Das and Pranab Balawantray did not calm down. They got the then Tehsildar Saubhagya Das to jail Sarveshwar and put him in Jajpur jail in June 2023, after stealing land and giving him false hair. Sarveshwar stayed in jail for a few days and returned home.
4. The game between these two men did not end there. Another lie was made by using a temporary mirror to arrest Sarveshwar. Sarveshwar was kept underground for months and then got bail from the High Court. But at this time, Pranab Balawantray took the police to the police station and mentally tortured Sarveshwar’s wife and children.
5. They were not satisfied with this. They called a Dalit woman to arrest Sarveshwar and filed a case of harassment against women at the Dharmashala police station. I met the SP and told him that this was a false case and that Pranab Balawantray had fabricated this lie. The police did not arrest Sarveshwar but filed a chargesheet against him.
Then, with the general elections and the BJD’s loss of power, Sarveshwar was saved. Otherwise, the two Pranabs would have been dancing naked on Dharmashala Highway holding Sarveshwar’s severed head.
I am presenting this information for the information of those who are protesting against the attack on Pranab Balawantray and BJD goons and demanding the arrest of Liku Sahu. These Bobby Das and Pranab Balawantray have not been jailed or bombed for their crimes yet. They are alive. Sarveshwar’s spirit is still beating. History has repeated itself. I salute Liku. Sarveshwar and Pranab are enjoying the pitiful situation in front of the office of the Director General of Police and are discussing in the Dharmashala that his wife and children are dead. Liku is probably getting justice for his family. The government could not give it.
Now the government should take action by getting the CBI to investigate the mining thefts that have been going on since 2010. As long as the mining thefts continue, this violence will continue. Whoever is the MLA, this fight is to get the black money from the mining loot. Liku Sahu has stopped the business of the BJD leader. His black empire is under Liku Sahu. That is why this fight. It is wrong to think that the thefts will stop if Liku Sahu leaves. Liku Sahu has destroyed the efforts of the two Pranabs to keep the black money business under his control.
