After unanimously rejecting Vedanta’s beleaguered proposal for bauxite mining in Niyamgiri hills in 11 scheduled Palli Sabhas held in the hilltop villages in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, tribals are waiting to celebrate their victory after the last Palli Sabha which would be held at Karpar village in Rayagada district on Monday.
In the tribals versus Vedanta mining proposal match, the former is expecting a clean sweep by defeating the latter in 12-0. Though the indigenous people of the hills have already aired their voices against mining in the Palli Sabhas, the last meeting would give an impression of the people’s strength. Earlier, eleven Palli Sabhas, five in Kalahandi and five in Rayagada, have rejected the mining proposal of the company outright. Only one more Palli Sabha at Karapar would be held in the district on Monday. like the previous six Palli Sabhas held in Rayagada district, the last Palli Sabha would also be supervised by Additional District and Sessions Judge SC Mishra.
Notably, the Palli Sabhas are being held on the direction of Supreme Court to seek mandate of the local people to mine bauxite on Niyamgiri hills which is needed to meet the raw material demands of Vedanta’s one- million tonne refinery at lanjigarh in Kalahandi district. After the continuous rejection of mining by the tribals in the Palli Sabhas, Vedanta has initiated steps for an alternative source to feed its bauxite starved lanjigarh refinery, sources said.