TNI Bureau: Member of Parliament and Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh, in a post on his X handle, has expressed concern over ongoing protests by villagers in Odisha’s Koraput district against a proposed bauxite mining project of Kalinga Alumina Ltd., a subsidiary of the Adani Group, alleging violations of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Ramesh stated that local communities are opposing the diversion of nearly 400 acres of forest land by Kalinga Alumina Ltd, claiming that the affected villagers possess traditional and spiritual rights over the land protected under the Forest Rights Act. He alleged that the company is facing accusations of illegally diverting forest land and obtaining mandatory gram sabha approvals through fraudulent means in collusion with local officials.

According to the Congress leader, the matter has been brought to the notice of the concerned authorities. He further claimed that similar allegations against Kalinga Alumina Ltd have surfaced in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. Vedanta has also faced comparable accusations in connection with mining-related projects in the state, he added.

In his post, Ramesh urged the authorities to take the concerns of the protesting villagers seriously and ensure that the provisions of the Forest Rights Act are implemented in both letter and spirit. He also called upon the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs to examine the reasons behind recurring protests over mining projects in different parts of Odisha and to safeguard the rights of tribal and forest-dwelling communities.