Focus on Kalahandi meet

Times of India, July 22, 2013
BHAWANIPATNA: After Rayagada, theKalahandi district administration is bracing up to conduct a gram sabha at Tadijhola, the first of five such meets planned in the district, on Tuesday to decide on the proposal to mine bauxite fromNiyamgiri hills.

"We have made all arrangements to hold the first gram sabha at Tadijhola," said district's nodal officer Ramesh Chandra Behera. The gram sabhas will be held in five villages of Trilochanpur gram panchayat in Lanjigarh block between July 23 and 30. In Trilochanpur gram panchayat, around 2038 people live in 27 revenue villages and three hamlets. Almost all of the villages are situated in deep forest of Niyamgiri and have no roads, electricity, education and drinking water. They mostly survive on the forest produce. Tadijhola's gram sabha would follow similar events held at Rayagada's Serkapada on July 18 and Kesarpadi slated for Monday. Serkapadi rejected the mining proposal.

Niyamgiri Surakhya Samiti (NSS) president Kumuti Majhi said they have educated all tribals to participate in the gram sabhas. "We have educated all participants to voice their opposition to mining in the gram sabha," said Majhi.

The gram sabhas are being held in consonance with the Supreme Court's April 18 order asking the state government to conduct village level meets to decide Vedanta Aluminium Limited's bid to mine at Niyamgiri hills. The apex court ruled that the gram sabha will examine the the community, individual as well as cultural and religious claims filed by the local Dongria Kondh tribes.

At the gram sabha, adults of the area would vote on the issue. Tadijhola's village council has a total strength of about 45. Of this, around 26 adult members are expected to participate, sources said. Gram sabha would also be held at Palbori on July 24, followed by Phuldumer on July 25, Ijurpa on July 19 and Kunakadu on July 30.