Congress slams Modi government over bauxite mining protests, alleges Centre of 'bulldozing' clearances

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the Modi government over protests by villagers in Odisha's Koraput district against alleged violations of the law to "bulldoze clearances" for bauxite mining, and said Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram should be concerned as to why such agitations are taking place in different parts of the state.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the latest protest of villagers in Odisha against violations of the law to bulldoze clearances for bauxite mining is now ongoing in Koraput district.

Kalinga Alumina Ltd is being accused of illegally diverting about 400 acres of forest lands over which the agitationists have traditional and spiritual rights guaranteed under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, Ramesh claimed.

"The villagers claim collusion of the company and district officials to obtain gram sabha approvals in a brazenly fraudulent manner which has been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned. Kalinga Alumina is facing similar accusations in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts as well, as is Vedanta," Ramesh claimed on X.

"Kalinga Alumina Ltd has, of course, impeccable credentials: it is part of the vast and ever-expanding Modani empire," the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said.

The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs is responsible for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, both in letter and spirit, Ramesh pointed out.

"He himself is from Odisha. Surely, he should be concerned more about these protests and why they are taking place in different places in the state," Ramesh said.

His remarks come amid media reports quoting villagers in Odisha's Koraput district that the gram sabhas that cleared an Adani-linked firm to mine bauxite from Balda Hill in the Nageswari forest reserve were "fraudulently" held and that the resolutions clearing the mining contain forged signatures of villagers.