PUBLIC HEARING FOR VEDANTA LTD’S SIJIMALI BAUXITE MINE HELD IN RAYAGADA DISTRICT OF ODISHA
Dr.Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, October 16: The much awaited public hearing for Sijimali Bauxite Mines leased to Vedanta Ltd took place on last Monday at Trinath Dev High School at Sunger, Kashipur of Rayagada district, Odisha. Thousands of men and women assembled to participate in the hearing. Before the actual hearing, which was scheduled to commence from 10 AM to 12 noon as per the information of Odisha State Pollution Control Board(OSPCB), Bhubaneswar, there was sloganeering against Vedanta & its mining contractor Maitri like “Vedanta, Go back; Maitri Go back; Sijimali zindabad, Niyamagiri Zindabad, etc. When the actual hearing was announced by Sri Ashok Kumar Bhoi, Regional Officer, OSPCB, Rayagada in the presence of Sri Rameswar Pradhan, Additional District Magistrate, Rayagada, the public broke the left side barrier reserved for media and went beserk for a while; but the police led by Sri Vivekananda Sharma, Rayagada requested the public to put their grievances in peaceful manner. Bhoi requested the public to put their grievance orally or in written to be forwarded to concerned authorities.
Amidst vehement sloganeering, a few persons namely Bharati Nayak & Kartik Nayak from Banteji and few others from other villages opposed extraction of bauxite mineral by Vedanta Ltd. Some persons, who are in jail, came with High Court permission & heavy police escort to put forth their grievance in the hearing. Sources mention that though they were coaxed to say in favour of the company and mining, they all said negative. As there was no conducive atmosphere in the hearing, many people, who came prepared to tell positive about the company, could not do so. They all gave their statements in written to the authorities on the dais. Though the hearing was supposed to end by 12 noon, it ended by 11.15 AM and the presiding officer ADM alongwith RO left the venue.
Officers of Vedanta Ltd & Maitri were present. Good arrangement was made for the public to take ample opportunity of putting forth their grievances. There were ground level officers like BDO, Kashipur & Kolnara, Tehsildars Rayagada & Kashipur, Additional SP, Nabarangapur & several police Inspectors. There was an apprehension that the police would lift the pro-mining activists prior to the hearing and obstruct general public, who are anti-mining; but nothing of that sort happened as there was free movement of thousands of people from the affected villages and supporters outside. Many villagers also joined from Niyamagiri region. Law & order prevailed under the leadership of SP Vivekananda Sharma & Bishnu Patra, Additional SP, Rayagada, who strictly followed rules of law with the help of police force, CRPF, DVF, etc.
As Sijimali Block is a virgin block, which has been recently auctioned & Letter of Intent(LOI) issued to Vedanta Company, this public hearing is done. Land Cover of the Mine Lease Area includes Private land 127.9 Ha, Government land 722.9 Ha, Forest land 699.7 Ha totalling Mining lease area (MLA) as 1549.022 Ha. Life of the mine will be 31 years.
