Lokshakti Abhiyan president Prafulla Samantara on Tuesday sought Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal’s intervention for restoration of community land to tribals of in Kosagumuda village in Nabarangpur district at the earliest.
In a letter, Samantara apprised the Governor that district administrations, the State Government and responsible officers do not honour the rights of tribals and their community rights over natural resources in accordance to laws and constitutional provisions specially the power of Gram Sabha under PESA, FRA-2006. “At present, the villagers of Kosagumuda in Nabarangapur district are protesting against forcible transfer of 160 acres of community land of the village,” Samantara mentioned in the letter.
He mentioned that 37 families belonging Schedule Tribe and Schedule Caste had received land for cultivation of economic fruits and crops from district administration long ago. The families have also been using for the said purpose.
“The entire 160 acres of land has been transferred to the Idco without prior consent of Gram Sabha which is a must for such land transfer as the village comes under the 5th schedule of the Constitution. He apprehended that the Idco might have handed over the land to a private company against the wishes of villagers.
While hundreds of villagers are struggling to prevent such illegal transfer of their community land, the administration has used police force to suppress their peaceful democratic protest.
Even, villagers, including, were lathi-charged when the protested construction of boundary wall around the land.“Thus, I appeal you to cancel the illegally-transferred Adivasi land and take immediate action to stop the boundary construction work,” urged Samantara.