A day after the Dongaria Kondh leaders met Governor SC Jamir seeking Gram Sabha in all the 104 villages of the Niyamgiri hills spread over Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, the State Government on Thursday assured that the issue would be referred to the law Department for its views, if needed.
Reacting to the demand of the tribes residing in the hills, Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development (SSD) Department Secretary Santosh Sarangi told newsmen that the State Government would examine the issue and seek the views of the law Department.
Protesting State Government’s decision to conduct Gram Sabha limiting to only 12 villages in the bauxite rich Niyamgiri hills to decide the issue of mining by Vedanta for its lanjigarah refinery, a delegation of Dongaria Kondh on Wednesday had called on Governor SC Jamir and sought his intervention to ask the Government to extend the process to all the 104 villages to ensure that the villagers should share their views through the Gram Sabha.
Earlier, the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry also in a letter to the State Government had taken exception to the latter’s decision to conduct the Gram Sabha in 12 villages in the hills on the issue of bauxite mining following the Supreme Court’s order. The Tribal Affairs Ministry had advised the SSD Department to cover all the villages as the decision of the State Government was not in conformity with the apex court’s order.
However, Sarangi clarified that the decision was taken for conducting the Gram Sabha in 12 villages basing on an affidavit sworn in the Supreme Court in 2012 and also views of the law Department to clear the confusion over the apex court’s order of April 18 last.
Sarangi said that though the two district administrations were asked to go ahead in holding Gram Sabha in 12 villages to record the views of the inhabitants on the controversial issue, there is no bar for other individuals or groups to give their views on the issue, he said.