Pandemonium in Odisha assembly over PESA Act violation

Pandemonium prevailed in Odisha assembly on Wednesday over the alleged violation of PESA Act for formation of Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC), even as tribals were observing a dawn-to-dusk bandh in the steel city against the decision.

The issue was raised in the assembly by opposition members as soon as the house assembled. The noisy scenes forced the speaker to adjourn the house till 3 p.m.

Two Congress MLAs Prafulla Majhi and Jogesh Singh sat on dharna near the speaker's podium protesting against the alleged violation of Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, 1996.

The Congress lawmakers protested the inclusion of two tribal panchayats in RMC without consulting the tribal residents.

"The state government's move to include two tribal panchayats in the proposed municipal corporation is in violation of Constitutional provisions. The government can not takeover or include any tribal land under any circumstances without holding gram sabhas until it obtains special permission from the president of India," Prafulla Majhi told reporters.

BJP legislature party leader Basant Panda said the decision of the government to include tribal panchayats without holding gram sabhas is in violation of PESA Act.

He demanded that the government immediately revoke its decision. However, BJD MLA Samir Dash said no illegalities had been committed in the government's decision.

"The government's decision was taken keeping in mind the long-standing demands of the people of Rourkela to declare it as a municipal corporation," said Dash.

Meanwhile, tribals under Sundargarh Adivasi Mulabasi Bachao Sangha (SAMBS) observed a 12-hour bandh (shut down) on Wednesday protesting against the government's decision to include several peripheral tribal villages in the proposed municipal corporation.