11th Gram Sabha also rejects mining on Niyamgiri Hills

BHUBANESWAR: In another setback to the Odisha government's plan for bauxite mining for Vedanta on the Niyamgiri hills, an eleventh Gram Sabha and the penultimate one of the scheduled 12 to be held, today voted against the proposal.

The Gram Sabha or village meeting at Khambesi village in Rayagada district unanimously rejected the proposal with all its 72 members, including 49 women, saying no.

The members said the mining would severely affect their socio-cultural and religious rights over Niyamgiri as they considered the hills to be their presiding deity.

Rayagada district judge Sarat Chandra Mishra attended the meeting as observer at the village comprising 23 Dongria Kondh families.

The state government has been holding the Gram Sabhas according to April 18 directive of the Supreme Court which gave residents in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts the right to decide whether they supported bauxite mining on the hills.

Five Gram Sabhas have been held in Kalahandi district and six in Rayagada district so far.

A total of 12 Gram Sabhas were to be held with the remaining one to be held in Rayagada district.

The last Gram Sabha is scheduled to be held on August 19 at Jarapa village.

Meanwhile, the Rayagada administration deployed officials to ensure that no foreign national could attend the Gram Sabha or take photographs of the proceedings after controversy over presence of two Englishmen at the Lakhpadar Gram Sabha on August 7.

"A team of officials were stationed at Panimunda. Any foreign trespasser will be prosecuted according to law," said Rayagada Collector Sashi Bhusan Padhi.

Panimunda is the gateway to Khambesi, a non-descript village under Muniguda block. It is about 100 km from Rayagada town.