JSW Steel Ltd has bagged three iron ore mines in Odisha, with a combined estimated capacity of around 1.09 billion tonnes, the company informed the stock exchanges on Monday.

For hundreds of years we have depended on this forest for our survival. Apart from betel vineyards this lush, fertile land has provides us with cashew, coconut, drumstick, mango, jackfruit, betel nut, pineapple, guava, many other varieties of fruits, roots, and vegetables.

We also raise our cattle and lifestock on this land, and also carry out extensive fishing here. We cannot survive without this forest as most of us are landless. Therefore we will not allow any factory to be built here.


– As per FRA 2006, our individual and community rights must be recognized first and the consent of the Palli Sabha must be taken before such forest is diverted for non-forest usage. But, the Govt. has failed to do both, the FRA claim recognition process has not been carried out and the consent of the Palli Sabha has not been taken. Such an act of the Govt. is a clear violation of FRA and is putting the life and livelihood of the people of Dhinkia at great risk. Hence, today in this Palli Sabha we renew our demands for immediate recognition of our FRA rights and claims.


–  The Public Hearing for JSW conducted by the Govt. on 20 Dec 2019 was completely undemocratic and illegal because the project affected people did not participate in it, we were not provided with any information about the Public Hearing and people were brought from other places to participate in the Hearing.

Therefore, the Public Hearing must be declared invalid.


– Despite our protest and opposition the company’s employees are frequently visiting our village and luring our people with false promises which is creating disharmony and affecting the fraternity in the village.

We are being threatened that we will be charged with false cases and arrested like in the past during the anti-POSCO agitation, and when we are in jail they will build the JSW project. We are all living in great fear now.

Today we have decided that from now on we will not allow any JSW employees to enter our village. If the company continues to send its people to our village to rupture the harmony and fraternity of our community then the Govt and the Company will be held for any unrest and law and order situation that will arise.


– The resolution of the Palli Sabha will be sent to all public representatives and district administration, the Collector, the Ministry of Environment & Forest, the Human Rights Commission, the Chief Minister, the Governor, the Prime Minister and the President.


In this Palli Sabha, we are unitedly and unanimously as a community are declaring that we are in complete opposition to the proposed JSW project.
Courtesy:Com.Prashant Paikray