During last 50 years, about 200 companies got 600 leases for mining operation in 1 lakh hectares of land in the State which impacted heavily on the life and livelihood of people depending on homestead land, agriculture, forest and common land. This was disclosed by a study report on mining and land rights of the marginalised conducted by Development Initiative, a city based human rights and development organization with the support from Action Aid India.
The report revealed that out of 600 mining leases, 60 per cent are in 5th Scheduled area and 40 per cent are in non Scheduled area. The public sector has 52 per cent and private sector has 48 per cent of lease land. The huge mining operation has changed the land use pattern and deprived many of their right to land in mining areas of the State.
Manas Jena , human rights activist and lead researcher, shared the findings here on August 26 last in presence of a gathering of about one hundred people including people’s leaders from mining areas, activists, academics, Dalits, Adivasis, women groups and media.
The report said it is the Dalit and Adivasi landless agricultural workers, forest workers and small and marginal farmers who are the worst sufferers.
They have been bearing the historical burden of denial of record of rights over the land where they have been staying and cultivating for livelihood since generations.
The Dalits and Adivasis are on the top of the list of people denied homestead land in mining area. Findings from 60 sample villages of six tehsils say a majority of Dalit households do not have homestead land. In many places, the whole village/hamlet is placed on Government land for many years. local Revenue officials are not allowing for settlement and providing legal ownership to households, who have been staying in that area for generations in the plea of mining.
Homestead land is important because it provides identity and essentials in availing benefits like residential and caste certificates. land ownership is a precondition for getting jobs as well as for compensation in the R & R Policy. It is reported that home-less households are not in a position to avail the benefits of the centrally sponsored schemes like the IAY because they do not have homestead land. Homestead land distribution programme like BASUNDHARA is restricted to only rural area. As a result, people who have been residing in the periphery of urban area (which was a rural area but merged with the NAC /Municipality later on) are being excluded from the benefits of such programmes, the report informed.
It said mining companies have been using illegally common lands available in the nearby locality for dumping and parking of vehicles. Very few MCl companies are engaged for reclamation of the mining areas though there is strict rule for reclamation of the abandoned mining during MoU. If they follow it properly, thousands of acres of land can be created and distributed among the landless households for cultivation, the study maintained.
The study suggested that in the pre mining stage, the thrust should be on land reform and land distribution. The Government should ensure survey and settlement and ensure record of rights of all the natives in the locality and by that ensure the process of free and fair compensation because the compensation is mostly land based.
The land settlement and distribution programme should be completed in all mine areas before mining lease to ensure homestead land and agricultural land to all land less families.