BHUBANESWAR: The Satkosia Praja Surakhya Samiti has claimed that no gram sabha or public meeting has been held yet with the residents of Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary by the Forest department for introduction of tigers in the landscape.
Referring to the statistics of voluntary relocation of villages in Satkosia, samiti president Nabakishore Bisoi pointed out that no gram sabha has been held in Katrang, Tulka and Bhurkundi.
He said, out of 674 families relocated during 2017 and 2023, gram sabha was conducted only in Raigoda and Asanabahal villages. “There has been no gram sabha in Katrang, Tulka and Bhurkundi. Hence, it is not proper to mention that these three villages have been voluntarily relocated,” Bisoi added.
He said this has already been challenged by the villages in the court of law for which the compensation package amount allotted to the beneficiaries in these villages can be considered to have been distributed illegally.
“Without gram sabha or household survey, how could the Forest department conclude how many families are residing in these villages and how many are to be paid the compensation? How was the relocation compensation distributed without these information?” Bisoi asked. This is the reason, eligible families who were forced to leave Satkosia are deprived of compensation till now, he alleged.
The Satkosia Praja Surakhya Samiti president also said that settlement of Forest Rights Act is a mandatory provision in village relocation as per rules but it has not been undertaken in any villages in what was a blatant violation of tribal rights.
He further added that no gram sabha or subsequent survey was carried out in Gopalpur and Tikarpada villages. “Only a few number of villagers have been given relocation package. However, both the villages continue to exist inside the tiger reserve,” Bisoi said.
On Forest department’s information that 400 families from Purunakote, 250 from Chhotkei, 150 from Salor and 200 from Majhipada have agreed for relocation, the association said no gram sabha has been held in these villages till date and no such discussion regarding relocation ever initiated by the department with these villagers. Hence, the creation of 816 hectare of inviolate space following relocation of the villages is not a fact, Bisoi said and added that the record of rights of the said land still belongs to the same recorded tenants and villagers.
No procedure of village relocation was followed by Satkosia authorities in the recent years, he stated reacting to a news published in this paper.