Villagers in Koraput district, Odisha, are protesting against bauxite mining by Kalinga Alumina Ltd., with Congress alleging illegal diversion of forest land and fraudulent gram sabha approvals. Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram is called upon to address these protests occurring across the state. Similar allegations have also been directed at Vedanta and firms linked to Adani.

On Tuesday, the Congress party criticized the Modi government regarding the protests by villagers in Koraput district, asserting that there are alleged legal violations in obtaining clearances for bauxite mining. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh emphasized that the ongoing protests in Koraput stem from these violations.

Kalinga Alumina Ltd. is accused of illegally diverting approximately 400 acres of forest land, which the protestors claim they have traditional and spiritual rights over, as protected by the Forest Rights Act of 2006, according to Ramesh.

“The villagers allege collusion between the company and district officials to secure gram sabha approvals in a blatantly fraudulent manner, which has been reported to the relevant authorities. Kalinga Alumina is facing similar allegations in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts, as is Vedanta,” Ramesh stated on X.

Ramesh further noted that Kalinga Alumina Ltd. is part of the extensive Modani empire, which he described as having impeccable credentials.

He reminded that the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs is tasked with enforcing the Forest Rights Act, 2006, both in its letter and spirit. “He himself is from Odisha. Surely, he should be more concerned about these protests and their occurrence in various locations within the state,” Ramesh added.

These comments follow media reports indicating that villagers in Koraput district claim the gram sabhas that authorized an Adani-linked firm to mine bauxite from Balda Hill in the Nageswari forest reserve were conducted fraudulently, with resolutions allegedly containing forged signatures of villagers.

Source: Economic Times