Niyamgiri violations inquiry ordered

Tathya.in, Nov 28, 2009

Bhubaneswar:28/November/2009

The Government of Odisha has asked the Collector of Kalahandi to enquire into allegations of mining activities being taken up in Niyamgiri.

Department of Steel & Mines (DOSM) in an order issued here on 28 November has asked R Santhgopalan to send an Inquiring Team for an On-the-Spot study of the allegations.

Ashok Dalwai, Secretary DOSM has issued instructions in this regard.

Dr.Dalwai, has also asked the officials of the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) to enquire into the matter in Niyamgiri.

OMC will be sending Team of Experts to look into the alleged violations.

Union Forest & Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said another site inspection team was being sent next week to verify fresh allegations of violations of terms of the ‘in-principle’ approval under Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

The proposal for bauxite mining at Niyamgiri hills by the Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) through Vedanta, a private mining company, in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts of Orissa has been lying before the Union Government’s Forest Advisory Committee.

Mr. Ramesh, in a statement, also said the Centre was awaiting reply from the State Government on whether provisions of Forest Rights Act had been complied with.

The ministry had written to Odisha Government on 3 November directing the State to comply with the provisions of the Scheduled Tribe and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act, 2006.

And the Centre has asked the State Government to provide evidence for the compliance before them, which could examine conversion of the ‘in-principle’ approval to final approval.

Forest clearances come in two stages with work being allowed only after the final clearance.

But the in-principle approval requires that the proposed project also be in line with the Forest Rights Act which requires government to settle all rights of forest dwellers in the region before the land is diverted for any project.

However officials of the Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) Lanjigarh Alumina Project has rejected the allegations of violation of law under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

VAL is abiding by the Law of the Land, said sources.