Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday alleged serious violations of tribal rights and environmental safeguards in connection with a proposed bauxite mining project in Odisha’s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, calling for an independent inquiry into recent unrest in the region.
In a post on X, Ramesh said Odisha has a long history of public resistance when mining projects with significant ecological consequences are “bulldozed through” without adhering to constitutional and legal protections. He described the latest controversy as part of a “depressing saga,” referring to the proposed project in Sijimali, which includes mining activity and associated infrastructure.
Ramesh alleged that key legislations meant to safeguard tribal and forest-dwelling communities — including the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 and the Forest Rights Act, 2006 — have been undermined. “Rights of affected individuals, local communities, and institutions like Gram Sabhas guaranteed by these laws… have reportedly been deliberately diluted or even bypassed,” he said.
The Congress leader further claimed that when protests erupted in recent days, law enforcement agencies responded with “disproportionate force,” allegedly targeting Scheduled Tribe communities, particularly women. He said such actions amounted to violations of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Highlighting the political context, Ramesh noted that both the Chief Minister of Odisha and the union Minister of Tribal Affairs hail from the state, urging greater sensitivity in handling the issue. He called on the union Tribal Affairs Minister to order an independent probe into the Sijimali unrest and to ensure that the provisions of PESA and the Forest Rights Act are implemented “in letter and spirit” through a transparent and participatory process.
The allegations come amid ongoing tensions in parts of southern Odisha, where tribal communities have frequently opposed extractive projects over concerns of displacement, environmental degradation, and loss of traditional rights.
