Satyanarayan Pattnaik, TNN Aug 13, 2013, 04.31AM IST
KORAPUT: After the controversy over presence of two Englishmen at Lakhpadar gram sabhaon August 7, the Rayagada district administration has decided to deploy officials to check entry of foreign nationals to Khambesi, the venue for the 11th gram sabha to be held on Tuesday.
"A team of officials will be stationed at Panimunda. Any foreign trespasser will be prosecuted, according to the law," said collector (Rayagada) Sashi Bhusan Padhi. Panimunda provides a gateway to Khambesi, a non-descript village under Muniguda block. It is about 100 km from Rayagada town.
"Since the duo reached Lakhpadar from Kalahandi district, we had means to check them," the collector added. Following the human safari row earlier this year, the administration had imposed certain restrictions on foreign tourists, visiting the district. Photography is also banned in areas inhabited by Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), sources said.
Khambesi is home to around 23 Dongria Kondh families, categorized as a PVTG. There are around 72 voters and 49 among them are women. The gram sabha will be held under the supervision of Rayagada district judge Sarat Chandra Mishra.
The earlier gram sabhas held in both Rayagada and Kalahandi districts have voted against the Vedanta Aluminuim Limited's proposal to mine Niyamgiri hills.
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