Odisha Congress Seeks Governor’s Intervention Over Tribal Displacement

Bhubaneswar, May 14: Stepping up its attack on the Odisha government over alleged large-scale tribal displacement, the Odisha Congress on Thursday urged Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati to intervene immediately, accusing the state administration of forcibly evicting tribal communities in the name of industrialisation.

A Congress delegation led by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Bhakta Charan Das met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum alleging systematic injustice against tribal populations through industrial expansion projects.

The party claimed that thousands of tribal families across Odisha had been displaced in recent years, leaving many without homes, livelihoods, or proper rehabilitation. Congress leaders alleged that while industrial houses were being granted access to vast natural resources, affected tribal communities were being denied justice, compensation, and legal safeguards.

The delegation further accused the government of using police force to facilitate displacement and bypassing constitutional and legal protections meant for tribal populations.

Speaking after the meeting, Bhakta Charan Das said no land acquisition involving tribal communities should take place without prior consent of the Gram Sabha, as mandated under existing laws. He alleged that the state government’s actions violated the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996, the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act, 2013.

Das also expressed concern over what he described as a growing pattern of coercive displacement aimed at benefiting corporate interests at the cost of vulnerable communities.

According to a Congress statement, Governor Kambhampati assured the delegation that the grievances related to displacement would be examined carefully and appropriate steps would be considered.

The Congress delegation included Odisha Congress Legislature Party leader Ramachandra Kadam, Odisha Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, co-in-charge J.T. Kusum Kumar, party MLAs, and several senior leaders.

Prior to meeting the Governor, the Congress organised a large public mobilisation at Lower PMG Square in Bhubaneswar under the banner of “Gandhi Patha Nyaya Padyatra,” demanding justice, rehabilitation, and constitutional rights for displaced tribal and rural communities.

The padyatra, which began on May 6 from Dhinkia, culminated in Bhubaneswar with hundreds of displaced persons participating alongside senior Congress leaders in protest against alleged land acquisition and forced evictions.

Addressing the gathering, Bhakta Charan Das said the Congress supported industrial development but would oppose any development model based on displacement, exploitation, and denial of human dignity.

He alleged that industries, with government support, were indiscriminately acquiring tribal land, forests, and water resources while offering false assurances instead of fair rehabilitation and compensation.

In a significant political promise, Das announced that if Congress came to power in Odisha, every displaced person who lost land to industrial projects would be made a shareholder in those industrial establishments.

Reiterating the party’s position, he said displacement, if unavoidable, must strictly follow legal procedures, including Gram Sabha approval, and pledged that Congress would continue its agitation until affected families received justice, compensation, and dignity.

During the protest, displaced persons from different parts of Odisha shared accounts of alleged neglect and injustice by authorities.

Senior Congress leaders, including former Union Minister Srikant Jena, padyatra chairman Suresh Routray, and MP Saptagiri Ulaka, also criticised the state’s displacement policies and vowed to continue the movement for tribal and displaced communities across Odisha.