Representative photo: CSE
Tribal residents of Lamer Gram Sabha, Odisha, have demanded action by the central government over an allegedly illegal mine exploration survey by Odisha Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (OMECL).
A petition made on on November 21 by Binod Majhi, secretary of the Gram Sabha, based in Kalahandi, alleged that over 200 officials from Rampur police department, administration and mines secretary entered the Lamer Community Forest area without any government order or prior intimation and informed the villagers about the mine exploration survey.
Majhi said the officials, on August 19, approached the villagers but were refused entry into the community forest area. “They also distributed blankets in a bid to earn goodwill, but they were straight-up refused by the villagers,” he said.
After the officials were refused entry following heated arguments, the administrative officials asserted that they would come again, threatening to go ahead with the survey, he said. Heavy machinery, mining survey equipment and vehicles were forced into the forest area without permission, Maji alleged.
Lamer Gram Sabha, under the Barabandha Gram Panchayat of Madanpur Rampur block of the Kalahandi district, received community forest rights in 2010 under the provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
Section 5 of the FRA empowers Lamer Gram Sabha to protect wildlife, forest and biodiversity. The provisions entitle the residents to protect adjoining catchment areas, water sources and other ecological sensitive areas.
It also gives the Gram Sabha the right to regulate access to community forest resources and prevent any activity that negatively impacts wild animals, forest and biodiversity.
In a written letter to the President of India and other government offices, Majhi stated the Gram Sabha since then has repeatedly sent letters about the illegal activities by the administrative officers by encroaching forest area and destruction of the forest and demanded necessary action.
The secretary of mines, Odisha, forest officials and administrative and revenue department officials have not taken any action on the same, he said.
The Gram Sabha has demanded an independent inquiry into the instructions of the government and departmental authorities who visited the village without government information, creating pressure and threatening the tribals to take strict action against them.
“We demand the immediate withdrawal / cancellation of the permit issued by the North Forest Division Kalahandi and to assess the damage to the Community Forest Resources and arrange payment of compensation to the Gram Sabha,” the letter stated.
In response, the office of the President of India on November 9 has instructed to initiate appropriate action in regards for the same.
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