Speculations rife on visits of CM to Delhi, Rahul to Odisha

The Pioneer, Aug 23, 2010
PNS, Bhubaneswar

With the scheduled Lanjigarh visit of All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi on August 26, speculations are rife now in political circle in the State over the NC Saxena Committee's Niyamgiri approval withdrawal suggestion given to the Ministry of Forest and Environment. The ball is now in Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh's court. Ramesh will take a final decision on the Niyamgiri mining approval issue.

Meanwhile Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's impromptu visit to Delhi on Sunday has also fuelled such speculations to a greater extent.

As per the political analysts, Rahul's visit assumes significance at a time when the Saxena Committee's allegations have baffled the State Government. The committee has alleged that the State Government has violated various environment-related laws in giving bauxite mining recommendations to Vedanta Aluminum limited at Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district. It has also suggested to the Union Government to withdraw the first phase approval given on April 28, 2009 after a hectic two-day meeting of the Forest Advisory Committee meeting (FAC).

Though Pradesh Congress Committee president KP Singh Deo has confirmed that Rahul is coming to Lanjigarh to see to the protection of medicinal plants and to review the rights of tribal people on land, water and forests, political circles are not ready to accept it as so simple as Singh Deo has said.

Some senior leaders speculate Gandhi's visit to Niyamgiri as a gimmick which would prove the concern of the Congress for the tribal people supporting the project later, if Ramesh withdraws first phase approval and disallows VAL to mine at Niyamgiri hills.

Rahul is scheduled to interact with members of primitive tribal groups, including the Dongaria Kondhs, the major affected tribe, due to the Vedanta project.

Sources said, the Chief Minister, during his two-day sudden visit to New Delhi, would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and appraise him about the recommendations given to VAL in the ambit of law. He is also likely to impress him not to take any step which would distract investments to the State, sources said. Earlier on Saturday, Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout paid visit to the Niyamgiri area and had interactions with the Dongaria Kandhs.