District collectors get alerts on Niyamgiri gram sabhas

The Odisha Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) development department has issued notices to the district collectors of Rayagada and Kalahandi, asking them to conduct hearings ahead of Gram Sabhas at Niyamgiri hill range, which will decide the fate of the bauxite mining project there. As per the notification, the collectors have been advised to hear submissions of local tribal communities who have religious and cultural concerns over the bauxite mining project that is meant to feed one million tonnes of alumina at the refinery of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL).

The collectors will complete the hearing process within six weeks, during which people from 12 tribal villages residing at the Niyamgiri hills, will submit petitions regarding their concerns. The task is carried out to understand the religious sentiment of the tribes as per the Supreme Court order.

In its April 18 order, the SC had directed to complete Gram Sabhas within three months to get the mandate of the local people regarding the mining project. The judgment had also called for maintaining the community, individual, cultural and religious rights of the local inhabitants.

The state government sought six weeks more time from the apex court to identify the sensitive issues attached with the mining project before going ahead with Gram Sabha sittings at 12 villages. Earlier this month, the union tribal affairs ministry had asked the state ST & SC development department to issue advertisements in local newspapers informing all tribals and traditional forest dwellers in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts to file claims of religious and cultural rights, along with the individual and community rights under the Forest Right Act (FRA).

The ministry had asked the state to ensure that transparency is maintained during the public hearing at Gram Sabhas. As per the apex court order, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) will take a decision regarding mining application of the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) within two months of receiving the Gram Sabha decision.

Meanwhile, the state government has written to the registrar of the Odisha High Court for appointment of a district judge to oversee the proceedings of the Gram Sabhas.