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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | ‘Forest diversion for Posco project ignored Forest Rights Act' by Satyasundar Barik

‘Forest diversion for Posco project ignored Forest Rights Act' by Satyasundar Barik

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published Published on Jul 24, 2010   modified Modified on Jul 24, 2010

A committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) on Saturday found that the green signal for land acquisition for the proposed Posco-India steel plant project in Orissa's Jagatsinghpur district was given, ignoring implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

The three-member committee that visited villages facing displacement observed that forest land could not be diverted for other purposes without settlement of rights under the FRA. It asked villagers to file fresh claims under the Act.

Shot in the arm

This came as a shot in the arm for villagers in Gadakujanga, Dhinkia and Nuagaon gram panchayats, who alleged that the district administration denied them opportunities to file claims under the FRA in the past.

Out of the initial requirement of 4,004 acres for putting up the mega steel plant, 2,958 acres falls under the forest category.

With regard to the right to settlement on forest land for traditional forest dwellers, joint committee member R. Rabi said “We have found that the processes prescribed in the FRA have not been completed in the area. Without completion of the process, the forest diversion should not have happened.” If Indian Oil Corporation, which was putting up projects next door, could obtain permission from the gram sabha before getting forest diversion approval, why was the same process not followed in villages such as Dhinkia and Nuagoan, he asked.

Mr. Rabi said that keeping the urgency of the issue in mind, the committee would submit its report to the Ministry within a week.

“Villagers told us that since various restrictions were imposed on them due to the law and order situation in Posco area, they could not file claims under FRA,” he said.

Serious contradictions

The committee observed serious contradictions between the State government's view on the FRA and ground realities. The State government had submitted before the MOEF that there were no tribal people in the proposed project area, either cultivating or residing in the forest land, and that no other traditional forest dwellers in the area were cultivating land there since three generations. But people showed proofs to the committee clearly indicating that they had been depending on the forestland more than 75 years, Mr. Rabi said.

The committee also found that the Palli Sabhas were not convened properly to discuss land settlement under the FRA.

“We have provided all documental evidences about our settlements which dated back to 1920s to the committee. The administration had given a false report to the Union government. On that basis, forest diversion was granted,” the spokesperson of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, Prasant Paikray, said.


The Hindu, 25 July, 2010, http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/25/stories/2010072556841200.htm
 

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