Declare land acquisition for Rourkela steel plant null & void: NCST to Guv

NEW DELHI: Declare land acquisition for Rourkela Steel Plant null and void with retrospective effect – National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has asked Odisha Governor to step in and protect interests of tribals who are being unfairly evicted from their rightful land.

In a first, the Commission has asked Odisha governor to exercise special powers granted in the Constitution for Scheduled Areas and cancel land acquired for Rourkela Steel Plant expansion plan. The move comes after the Commission examined complaints received from tribals living in the area and numerous field visits over the last 18 months. The tribals of Ruputola and Luakera villages in Rourkela had complained to NCST that they had been living in the area for over 50 years and were being wrongfully evicted after the plant’s expansion plans firmed up. Read more

Courtesy: The Economic Times