To
The Honourable Governor of Odisha
Raj Bhavan,Bhubaneswar
Sub :To protect tribal community land in Nawarangapur district
Esteemed Rajyapal ji,
In different parts of schedule areas in Odisha the district administration,the state govt and responsible officers do not honour the rights of tribals and their community rights over natural resource in accordance to laws and constitutional provisions specially the power of Gram Sabha under PESA,FRA-2006.
At present the villagers of Kosagumuda in Nawarangapur district are in protest against undemocratically,unlawfully and forcefully transfer of 160 acres of community land of the said village.
In this land 37 families belonging schedule tribe and schedule caste have received a piece of land for each for cultivation of economic fruits and crops as livelihood schemes from district administration since long.They are also using the land for the said purpose. The rest of land is used by the villagers for fodder to domestic animals.
Meanwhile the entire land of 160 acres has been transferred to the State Industrial Development Corporation without prior information and prior consent of Gram Sabha which is must as the village belongs to the schedule area under the 5th schedule of the Constitution.
The IDCO might have handed over the land to a private company against the wishes of villagers.
Because of this arbitrary takeover of village land, hundreds of villagers are struggling to prevent such illegal transfer of their community land to protect their right to resources for livelihood .
The administration has used police force to suppress the villagers peaceful democratic protest ,even they including women are lathicharged to go for construction of boundary wall by the IDCO.
I am to appeal your good office as the constitutional authority to deliver good governance and protect the rights of tribals and dalits in schedule area to cancel the illegal take over of Adivasi land without Gram Sabha’s consent and without compensation and alternative land to the beneficiaries of the said land.
I am to urge your conscience to intervene and to take immediate action to stop the boundary construction work.
With warm regards,
Yours sincerely
Prafulla Samantara,President,Lokshakti Abhiyan
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