PARADIP: Villagers of Gobindpur in Jagatsinghpur district demanded land record of rights (RoR) under Forest Rights Act (FRA) during a Palli Sabha on Wednesday.
They strongly protested the ongoing construction of boundary wall work on the Posco acquired land in the village. Under Orissa Gram Panchayat Act and FRA, it is mandatory for the district administration to hold Palli Sabha in each village under Forest Rights Committees and seek their consent before any construction work. But the administration forcibly started boundary wall work on the acquired land in Gobindpur village, they alleged.
The meeting resolved to intensify protest over the issue. Villagers said the Government has planned to transfer the land to another company after withdrawal of Posco steel project.Villagers said during Posco land acquisition, a four-member panel headed by former bureaucrat NC Saxena had confirmed the violations of FRA provisions and intimated to the MoEF in 2010. Till date, the State Government has not been able to produce a single Gram Sabha resolution with consent of villagers as required under the law for land acquisition before the Ministry.