BHUBANESWAR/BHAWANIPATNA: Continuing
the previous trend of no-to-mining voice, the tribals of Niyamgiri hills on
Tuesday outrightly rejected the proposal of bauxite mining in the eighth Palli Sabha
held at Ijrupa village of Kalahandi district.
Only four voters of the village
attended the meeting. The voters belonged to a single family voted against
mining in the Niyamgiri hills. “We are living in the hills since ages, so we
can’t live our motherland at any cost,” said a member of the family.
Additional District Judge
(Vigilance) of Kalahandi Pramod Kumar Jena, who was appointed by the Supreme
Court as the observer for the Palli Sabha, was present during the whole
deliberation. Jena said that the tribals reiterated that they could not give
anybody for mining in the hills. “The tribals said that they worship Niyamgiri and
they could not allow Vedanta for mining here,” said Jena.
The State Government had decided to
conduct Palli Sabha in 12 hill slope villages as per the April 18 Supreme
Court’s order. Palli Sabhas in Kalahandi district have been completed Tuesday
which was started from July 23, but another four Palli Sabhas would be held at
the tribal villages Lamba, Lakhapadar, Khambasi and Jarapa of Rayagada district
on August 1, 7, 13 and 19 respectively, said the official sources.
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