Odisha gears up for gram sabhas at Niyamgiri amid local protests

Business Standard, May 22, 2013
Despite SC verdict on April 18, state govt yet to start process for holding village assembly meetings, citing lack of clarity in the order
The Odisha SC & ST department will instruct the district administration of Kalahandi and Rayagada soon to initiate work at the field level for conduct of gram sabhas for deciding the fate of bauxite mining at Niyamgiri hills.

Despite the Supreme Court (SC) verdict dated April 18, the state government is yet to start the process for holding village assembly meetings, citing lack of clarity in the order. Now, after receipt of views from the law department, the SC & ST department is gearing up to hold gram sabhas in 12 villages on Niyamgiri hill slopes.

“We are going to issue letters in 2-3 days to the collectors of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts to initiate action on gram sabhas after settling claims of the tribals. For the benefit of the tribals, the SC order will be translated into Odia and the local tribal dialect. The state government has already written to the registrar of the Odisha High Court for appointment of a district judge to oversee the proceedings of the gram sabhas,” said a senior government official. Today, top state officials including steel & mines secretary Rajesh Verma, SC & ST secretary, Santosh Sarangi and chairman and managing director of Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) Santosh Sarangi apprised Governor S C Jamir on steps being taken to start gram sabha proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Dongaria Kondhs, the inhabitants of Niyamgiri hills, have vowed not to allow bauxite mining by Vedanta. “We are determined not to allow the company to mine bauxite. We have also apprised the people in all the affected villages about the verdict of the SC during our pada yatra,” the leaders of the Niyamagiri Surakshya Samiti (NSS) said at a public meeting held at Muniguda in Rayagada district. Anti-Vedanta activists who addressed the meeting demanded holding of gram sabhas in all 104 villages which they claimed were to be affected by mining activity.

Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) was pinning its hopes on opening Niyamgiri mines to feed its one million tonne per annum refinery. The refinery has been under shutdown since December 5 for want of bauxite.