BHUBANESWAR: “State Government is
influencing the Gram Sabha proceedings by conducting it in 12 villages instead
of 112 affected villages in Niyamgiri area,” said Lingaraj Azad of Niyamgiri
Surakshya Parishad (NSS) which is spearheading movement against the bauxite
mining in the hill.
Azad said that out of the total 12
villages declared by the State for the Gram Sabha, one village Ijurupa of
Kalahandi district has a single family having a piece of land. Undemocratically
and illegally, the Vedanta Company is constructing seven houses and planning to
settle seven outside people to influence the Gram Sabha proceeding which is
very unfortunate, he added.
The State has deployed paramilitary
forces like CRPF in the name of combing operation to terrorise tribals so that
the forest dwellers could not attend the Gram Sabha fearing the forces, said
NSS member Bhalchandra Sarangi and added that there should be a democratic
sphere to have the Gram Sabha.
Two days back, Rayagada district administration
had sent a team to survey villages about people’s opinion on mining in the area,
said the members of the Samiti. “It is nothing but to provide information to the
company so that it will exercise its clouds to win over. This is against rule
of law,” they alleged.
The members reiterated that the
State Government in the interest of Vedanta is openly violating the Supreme
Court’s order regarding conducting of Gram Sabha.
The tribal leaders like Lada
Sikkaka, Malati Katraka, Dinja Jakasika and Kumuti Majhi of Niyamgiri area said
the media here that they would not allow the company for mining in the hill,
the Niyamraja where their god is residing.
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