Union Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo has accused the State Government of colluding with Vedanta company to push its bauxite mining project and suppressing the rights of affected Scheduled Tribes.
He has written a strongly-worded letter to Governor SC Jamir on June 21 requesting him to invoke his Constitutional powers to protect the tribals’ interest. He claimed that the State Government is “treating with scant respect” the Supreme Court’s order of April 18.
The apex court had asked gram sabhas to take a decision on whether the Vedanta project can go ahead in the Niyamgiri Hills and asked the Tribal Affairs Ministry to act as the nodal authority. Deo said the State Government intends to hold Gram Sabhas only at 12 villages. “The convening of Gram Sabhas should not be limited to only 12 villages but should cover all the affected villages. Under the powers bestowed upon you under para 3 of the Schedule V to the Constitution, I urge you to kindly intervene and exercise your executive powers for protection of tribals and marginalised sections,” he wrote to the Governor.