Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday voiced concern over ongoing protests by villagers in Odisha’s Koraput district against proposed bauxite mining activities, alleging violations of forest rights laws and calling on the union Tribal Affairs Ministry to take note of the growing unrest in tribal regions of the state.
In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh said villagers in Koraput were protesting what they described as attempts to “bulldoze clearances” for bauxite mining projects in alleged violation of legal safeguards provided under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
According to Ramesh, the agitation centres around allegations against Kalinga Alumina Ltd, which is accused by local residents of illegally diverting nearly 400 acres of forest land over which tribal communities claim traditional, cultural and spiritual rights protected under the Forest Rights Act.
“The latest protest of villagers in Odisha against violations of the law to bulldoze clearances for bauxite mining is now ongoing in Koraput district,” Ramesh said.
He further claimed that villagers had alleged collusion between the company and district authorities in securing gram sabha approvals for the project through fraudulent means. According to him, these complaints had already been brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.
“The villagers claim collusion of the company and district officials to obtain gram sabha approvals in a brazenly fraudulent manner which has been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned,” he said.
Ramesh also alleged that similar accusations had surfaced in other parts of Odisha, including Kalahandi and Rayagada districts, where local communities have raised concerns over mining-related projects. He claimed that both Kalinga Alumina and mining major Vedanta Limited had faced allegations linked to forest land diversion and the implementation of tribal rights protections.
Taking a swipe at the company, the Congress leader remarked that Kalinga Alumina was part of what he termed the “Modani empire,” a phrase often used by opposition leaders to allege close ties between sections of corporate India and the ruling establishment at the Centre.
“Kalinga Alumina Ltd has, of course, impeccable credentials: it is part of the vast and ever-expanding Modani empire,” he said.
Ramesh also sought to draw attention to the role of the union Ministry of Tribal Affairs in enforcing provisions of the Forest Rights Act, which was enacted to recognize and protect the rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest communities over land and forest resources.
“The union Minister of Tribal Affairs is responsible for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, both in letter and spirit. He himself is from Odisha. Surely, he should be concerned more about these protests and why they are taking place in different places in the state,” Ramesh said.
The Forest Rights Act, enacted in 2006, was designed to address historical injustices faced by forest-dependent communities by granting legal recognition to individual and community rights over forest lands and resources. The law also requires the consent and participation of gram sabhas in decisions affecting such lands, making it a key point of contention in disputes involving mining, industrial projects and forest diversion proposals.
Mining projects in Odisha’s mineral-rich tribal belt have frequently sparked debates over environmental clearances, land rights and the rights of indigenous communities. Activist groups and local organisations have often argued that development projects must strictly adhere to legal safeguards protecting tribal populations, while governments and industry stakeholders have maintained that mineral extraction is important for economic growth and industrial development.
Ramesh’s remarks come amid continuing political scrutiny of mining projects in Odisha and renewed demands from tribal groups for greater transparency and accountability in the implementation of laws governing forest and community rights.
