Report by Orissadiary correspondent; Bhubaneswar: Summon to join the Assembly has been sent to legislature Ramesh Jena , who is under custody through the Collector and the S.P of Ganjam.

It should be noted that the 4th session of 14th Orissa Assembly is scheduled to be held from 22nd June.  Further notice will be sent to him through the Collector and SP to caste vote in  Rajyasabha election on 17  June.

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa government has surrendered huge funds under the State Plan during 2009-10. This was revealed at a high-level review meeting of the State Plan expenditure presided over by planning and coordination minister A U Singhdeo at the State Secretariat here on Sunday.

It was revealed that that various departments have surrendered a nearly Rs 1,381.59 crore. Most departments preferred to surrender the money rather than utilising it for development.

The minister, in a letter issued to various departments on Saturday, reiterated the concern of the chief minister for proper spending of the Plan funds and regular evaluation of the expenditure.

In the absence of proper monitoring, most of the departments have surrendered the funds generated by the state itself and funded for development.

Report by Dipti Ranjan Kanungo; Bhubaneswar: The World Environment Day is celebrated here on Saturday by the Forest and Environment department. The Chief Minister Naveen Pattanaik graced the occasion as Chief Guest . This year’s theme is “Bio-diversity: Connecting with Nature” – which focuses on the current and potential loss of bio-diversity and its serious implications on sustainable growth. Biological diversity represents the natural wealth of the Earth, and provides the basis for life and prosperity for the whole of mankind.

Speaking about the rich natural heritage of the state , the Chief Minister said Nature has endowed Orissa with a rich biological diversity. Strategies for conservation of biodiversity have comprised providing special status and protection to biodiversity rich areas by designating them as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves, and ecologically fragile and sensitive areas. The largest Ramsar sites of India i.e. Chilika Lake and Bhitarkanika `are located in our state. Chilika Lake is a striking example of how restoration of the ecological characteristics of a Lake can result not only in increased biodiversity but also in spectacular increase in fish catches and other socio-economic benefits to the local communities.

On this special occasion he also informed about the important projects launched by the state government to protect the natural bounties of Orissa. Considering the state’s significant expertise in wetland management and restoration, the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India has approved establishment of a National Wetlands and Coastal Ecosystem Research and Training Center at Bhubaneswar, which would serve as a Center of Excellence for capacity building and research in wetland management for India and South Asia.

For conservation and restoration of the important wetlands of the state ” Orissa Wetlands Development Authority ” is being constituted.

As a commitment towards conservation of biological diversity of plant resources the Regional Plan Resources Center has been established. Since its inception, much emphasis has been given for ex-situ conservation of biological diversity of plants besides habitat preservation in selected localities of the state.

The Chief Minister said Orissa is one amongst the few states of our country to formulate a ” State Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan “. The State Biodiversity Board has also been constituted in compliance to the ” Biological Diversity Act-2001″, for effective conservation of biodiversity.

The Chief Minister further said the state has an extensive 480 kilometre coast line. The coastal districts of Orissa accounts for 36% of state’s population who are prone to the climate mediated extreme weather events like floods, cyclones, coastal erosion, etc. A World Bank assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project would be implemented to promote sustainable management of coastal areas on a long term basis to balance the environmental, economic, social and cultural issues and address the livelihood needs of local communities. The implementation of the project would commence this year.

He told the world’s leading climate scientists agree that human action is accelerating the climate change. It is a global issue. The impact of climate change could disrupt the fragile life-sustaining ecological system that holds this world together. Expressing concern over the climate change issue , Chief Minister attributed the reasons to Rising temperatures, rising sea level, and more frequent climate mediated extreme weather events could seriously threaten the state’s infrastructure, economy, health, and ecosystems. Without proper long-term strategy, climate change may undermine our development efforts, with adverse consequences, across the board, on our people’s livelihood, the environment in which they live and work and their personal health and welfare. Thus it has become imperative to take appropriate mitigative and adaptive measures.

He also informed that Orissa Climate Change Action Plan is launched on the state government website for its review by the public today.  Orissa is the first state in the country to formulate the State Climate Change Action Plan. This reflects the great importance the state attaches to this important environmental issue. The suggestions will be very useful in finalising the Action Plan.

The Climate Change Action Plan would lead Orissa to move towards a carbon-conscious and climate resilient state. The draft Action Plan envisages an outlay of Rs.17,000 crores in eleven key sectors over the next five years. The Orissa Climate Change Action Plan would facilitate mobilisation of additional resources to implement the plan. A Climate Change Agency is proposed to be put in place to oversee the progress and liaise with Government of India, external funding agencies and different sectors for smooth implementation of the State Climate Change Action Plan.

Chief Minister congratulated the winners of various competitions organized as part of the celebration of World Environment Day. He also expressed his best wishes to all two hundred eleven Prakruti Mitra awardees of this year from all over the state and advised them to continue their good work in protecting the environment in coming years. The Chief Minister also launched the Draft climate Change Action Plan on the State Govt. for public review.

Among others , Chief Secretary Sri Tarunkanti Mishra and PCCF Sri Suresh Ch. Mohanty, Principal Secretary of Forest & Environment, Sri U.N. Behera gave the welcome address and Director, Environment Sri Bhagirathi Behera proposed the Vote of Thanks. The  Chief Minister gave away Prakruti Mitra Award to 211 persons and 10 children were also awarded.

The presence of shy Irrawaddy Dolphins is a symbol that all is well with the Chilika lagoon. A recently concluded census shows that dolphin numbers are up to 158 from 146.

The picture is very different from 2002 when there were only 80 dolphins and 9 were killed after being hit by boat propellers.

The credit for the turn around goes to the awareness campaign by the Chilika Development authority to protect the dolphin and conserve the lagoon.

Tourist numbers in the area have also increased. One of the tourists finds dolphins the greatest attraction in Chilika, and he comes back each year to watch them.

Until 3 years ago hundreds of local fishermen who live close to the sea mouth had turned migrant labourer after their fish catch fell very sharply.  But not any longer as dolphins have given them a reason to celebrate.
 
“Eco-tourism has come as a huge blessing and revived our economy. We worship the birds, dolphins and the lake for taking care of our prosperity,” said Hiranya Jena, Sipakuda.

Like the tiger in the forest it’s the Dolphin which is at the apex of the food chain here and the fact that their number is rising indicates a definite improvement in the eco-health of the Chilika lagoon.

The sprawling 1000 sq km Chilika lagoon was a dying wetland until 10 years ago but it was Chilika Development Agency’s decision to open this artificial new sea mouth, the Ram Bharatia Channel, which has made a huge difference to the wetland and given it fresh lease of life .
 
Ajit K Patnaik, Chief Executive, Chilika Development Agency said that it’s a win win situation for both conservationists and local people. He added that many indicators of the growing health like dolphins, shore birds and sea grass and tourism as an alternative livelihood has reduced pressures on the lake fishery.

While there are plenty of reasons to cheer about a rejuvenated Chilika, there is also a great need to regulate and monitor human activities and interventions.

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to broaden the health care system in the state, the Odisha government on Thursday decided to create 600 new doctors’ post in addition to the existing 4,258.

It also decided to employ one ANM (Auxiliary Norms and Midwife) in every health centre of the state.

The decisions were taken at a high-level review meeting presided over by health and family welfare minister Prasanna Acharya at the State Secretariat here.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Acharya said that the state government is all set to provide all time health care to the people.

We are taking various steps one by one, he informed.

The minister said that the state government is planning to appoint 600 new doctors so that the health care system would be more perfect.

We have also decided to re-activate the ad hoc system to provide instant jobs to the newly passed out doctors, he said, adding that the government has already asked Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) to recommend 650 assistant surgeons who would be appointed in the vacant posts.

Now the state is running with power shortage.

Due to power cuts and unannounced load shedding and low voltage particularly in rural areas, the medical institutions are suffering a lot to provide health services to the patients.

Keeping this in view, the state government has decided to set up individual transformers in district level hospitals and inverters in other health centers, Acharya said, adding that the talks are going on with energy department in this regard.

He also said that 14 squads have been asked to expedite their investigation work by paying surprise visits to the health centers.

So far, the squads have caught three doctors who remained absent during their absent.

These doctors have been issued show cause notices regarding their unreported absent, he said, adding that a biometric attendance system would be activated soon in every district hospital along with three government-run medical collages and hospitals of the state.

Report by Orissadiary correspondent; Bhubaneswar: Orissa government should realise that the Rs 52,000 crore project can never come up by terrorising people who depend on fertile land for their livelihood,” senior Congress leaders Umesh Swain, Sibananda Ray and Kailash Acharya told here the media persons in a press conference in congress Bhawan on Friday.

They told that instead of trying to evict people from the present location, the government should shift the site to Padmapur area, barely 3 km south of the Jatadhari river mouth near Paradip.

About 8,000 acre of barren land was available in the area, and the peoples are ready to be shifted .The Congress leaders warned that a mass movement would be launched across the state to prevent any attempt at forcible land acquisition. The peoples of Gar Kujanga, Dhinkia, and Govindpur are peacefully in democratic way protesting against the Posco but the State government tochoring them by Police force.

Report by Orissadiary correspondent; Bhubaneswar: The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday has reviewed the progress of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS through Video conference. The Chief Minister has discussed with the collectors of different districts and advised to look after the complaints of the general public within a limited time.

The Chief Minister had reviewed MGNREGA through video conference on 8th May and given stress on the farm pond. Till date about 2,18,388 application has been received . Notabvle progress recorded in Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, and Puri districts. The Chief Minister adviced all the districts Collectors to achieve the target. The Chief Minister advised to finalise the beneficiaries and to issue them work orders and to start the work immediately. The work orders of the projects such as Mo Kudia, Indira Awas etc in the rural areas should be completed by 30th June and work should be started immediately. The construction of Rajib Gandhi Seva Kendra Building under Bharat Nirman Youna should be completed within this year.

Among others Panchayati Raj and Public Relation Minister Prafulla Samal, Chief Secretary Tarunkanti Mishra, Principal Secretary of the Chief Minister Bijaya Patnaik, Secretary of Panchayati Raj Surendra Nath Tripathy, secretary of Agriculture Upendra Prasad Singh, Principal Secretary of Forest Department Upendra Nath Behera, secretary of Water Resources Department Suresh Chandra Mohapatra participated in the discussion.

Report by Orissadiary correspondent; Bhubaneswar: The government will create 600 more posts of Doctors recently. The Orissa Public Service Commission has been requested to sponsor the candidature of 600 Surgeons.

The procedure of Adhoc appointment, which was prepared 12 years ago is under consideration. Squad checking and inspection is being conducting to check up the attendance of Doctors and other employees.

Total 14 squads has been constituted. The Minister of Health and Family welfare has instructed to intensify the checking and inspection regularly. The Minister told here that in Sonepur district Chief Medical officer is checking the attendance of the Doctors and other staffs of the Medicals in the district through Webcam.

The government is going to introduce Biometric attendance system in three Medical College and Hospitals. Discussion with the energy department is going on to set up separate electric sub station for every hospitals. and inverter will be arranged in every hospitals. Recently Additional Secretary of Health and Family welfare department Ananda Kumar Mishra has visited Kashinagar, Gurundi, Garabandha, Namangada,  and Hadabhangi medicals of Gajapati district. At the time of his visit two two regular Doctors and one contractual Doctor was absent. They have called for so cause notice for their absence.

Filed Visit report of Angul District by CSD, Orissa; Bhubaneswar: In the last CSD, Orissa state level meeting, we decided to visit the village Kalavira coming under Angul Subdivision where we got information that the Angul District level Committee(DLC) has distributed 24.68 acres of forest land to a OTFD (non ST).

We had come across this news during the State level Training programme on FRA for the PRI SDLC and DLC members organized by CSD, Orissa in collaboration with Government of Orissa and NIRD, Hyderabad. For your information, this news was also widely covered by the Oriya dailies on dated 12-12-2009 (Khabar-“Jungle Adhikar Swikriti Pradan Khetrare Loka Pratinidhi Mananku Upekhya”, Dharitri-“Talim Karmasalare Loka Pratinidhi Mananka Mata-Jungle Adhikar Swikruiti Pradan Khetrare Aaina Ulanghana”, The Samaj-“Prasasan Langhuchhi Aaini-Jungle Adhikar Swikruitire Loka Pratinidhinku Upekhya”).

Accordingly, we visited the reported village on 27th March 2010 and collected the ground realities on the report and also other related problems in the implementation of the FRA. Before going to the Village we meet the DWO, Angul and also after coming from the field visit we met the District Collector and Sub Collector of Angul. We apprised them of the visit including the ground realities found in the implementation of the act in the district. They also admitted of the mistake done in case of Somnath Behera of village Kalavira and also assured us to take care of other issues raised in the implementation of the FRA in the district.

Thus this report is based on the filed visit to village Kalavira of Badabantakula GP of Angul block. The report also includes ground realities of the Pallaharda Block cum sub-division of the Angul district.

Implementation of FRA in Angul District: An Overview

As per the status report dated (30.4.2010) of State Govt., there are 1632 revenue villages in the district where gram sabhas were conducted by the (PRI at the block level) administration and FRC were formed during March 2008. As per the census 2001, there are only 16 villages having zero areas in the Angul out of which only 9 forest villages/ hamlets/un surveyed areas are having population in it.

There are 8 blocks and 4 sub divisions in the district. The total geographical area is 6375 sq km out of which 43,21%  areas are forest land(435191 acres under the state forest department, 235862,77 acres under the Revenue department and 8296,73 acres are DLC land.

Status of Individual Forest rights

As per the latest implementation of FRA report dated 30th April 2010 produced by the SLMC, the DLC, Angul has approved and distributed 2475 numbers individual forest rights claims out of the 7045 individual forest rights claimed submitted at the SDLC level by the Gram Sabhas.

Area in acres approved

While the 1.56 acre is the average land distributed under FRA per claimant in the State Orissa, the average acres distributed in the Angual District is 0.60 acre per claimant. This is due to the fact that, no fresh field verification has been done in most of the areas of the District like other districts including the reported area of (Pallaharda Block) and most of these pattas are prepared based on the encroachment cases filed against the tribal occupying forest land in last predecessor/previous years.

It is important here to be mentioned that 518, 4039 and 386 individual forest rights claims have been rejected by the Gram Sabha, SDLC and DLC respectively while 131 claims have been remanded to SDLC by the DLC and 14 claims are still pending at the district level by 30th April 2010.

The Village Kalavira

Kalaviara is a forest Village/ Tongiya Village settled in nineties by the Forest Department. Presently this village is the Ward No. 11 of the revenue village Kanja, G.P.Badabantakula, Thana– Bantala, dist-Angul.

As per the Present Collector, Angul they have the records of 1911 and 1934 on this village. As per the pattas/entitlements issued under FRA, survey of the plots has been already done and the village is in the Newkheta Reserved Forest, Compartment No.2 having Khata Nos. and plots Nos.). The villagers also informed that survey of the village was done in the year (1992-93). However, this village has not been converted into a Revenue village which is evident from the fact that the village is linked with the revenue village Kanja which is five Km away and no record is available in the Bhulekh (land record) web site maintained by Govt. of Orissa. However, as per the Census Report 2001, this village is having geographical areas of only 37 Hectares having 11 households, 65 nos. of Population (42 ST and 23 OBC). But, as per the filed visit, we identified 19 numbers of Households out of which 6 families belongs to Behera (OBC-Chasa) category, 1 of Dehuri (ST) and rest are (12) of ST (Kandha) category.

Formation of FRC

As per the decision of the Govt. of Orissa, FRC was formed in the revenue village Kanja like other revenue villages of Orissa, for the forest village Kalavira which is five km away through the hill path and more than 10 km away through the mud road. “the forester informed us about the palli sabha and formation of FRC at village Kanja, then we went there and participated in the Palli sabha, the VLW and forester were present during the formation of FRC” the villagers informed us. The president and secretary of FRC are from the revenue village Kanja. “The RI and Forester collected our signatures there in the meeting and told us that we have collected your signatures and you will be provided pattas for your lands,” they said. When we shared of the provision of the Act, they told us that “we want to form our own FRC in our village, Kanja is a big village and our view are never heard in that village and also it is far away from here”

Field Verification

When we asked, whether persons from revenue and forest had come to the village for field verification to help the Villagers. They informed us that person from Tahasil office (Sadasiba Pradhan and Alekh Charan Mallik of village Khinda (RI and Amin) and forest Department had come to our village. “RI/Amin came to our village at 2 pm without giving any prior intimation. They stayed in the night and we all the villagers collectively arranged for their dinner. In the next day, they just moved around the village/plots with the maps. They had brought chains but nowhere have they used that. When we told to compliant against them, they told us that whatever we have done, we have done well and your pattas are with us  and there is no need to compliant for this” the villagers informed.
“They just move around the village without verifying the plots under our occupation, they filled up the applications which they had brought along with them and asked us to sign over them.”

“After that we went to the Tahasildar, Collector, Sub-collector and complained against the verification process who again told us that you will be provided patta correctly and you need not to worry and to run here. After one month we collected the patta from Tahasil office with the help of VLW.

Patta/entitlement issued

When we asked whether they are satisfied on the amount of areas given in the Patta, they told us “not at all, there is mistake in the pattas being issued. While we are occupying more forest land, the mount of land mentioned in the patta is much lesser.”  This is evident from the fact that the government officials filled up the claim forms; they prepared joint pattas in many cases. Otherwise if the forest dwellers have filed their claims themselves after knowing the provisions of the FRA, they would have filed separate claims as per the number of households. Joint patta not only issued in case of Somnath Behera only, there are other such cases in the village which can be seen from the following table.  “The pattas are not correct. We are jointly occupying and cultivating nearly 40 acres of land” Somnath Behera said.

There are 8 numbers of pattas/entitlements have been issued before 7 months in the village. The problem is not just limited to joint patta, but there are also such other two households (Narendra Sahu and Prafulla Sahu-two brothers) who including the other villagers are claiming to have residing in the village from the beginning, but issued no patta. “we are also living in the same village as others and cultivating forest land, our grand fathers were also living in this village, we also contributed towards lunch and dinner of RI/Amin with other fellow villagers, but at the end our land were not verified nor we issued patta, we do not understand how it happened” said Narendra Sahu.

The DWO of the Angul district, Chaturbhuja Pradhan admitted that the said patta of 24.68 acres was a mistake and we are very soon going to correct them. “We have sent the patta to SDLC for correction”, the DWO informed. This was evident from the field that when we asked the patta holder to show us the patta, he could not show us the original copy and showed the Xeroxed on. Till the end of May 2010, no correction has been made nor have separate pattas been issued to them. Giving other information, the DWO also informed us that no retired RI/Amin has been appointed for FRA implementation in the Angul district.

Community Forest Rights
During the sharing of community forest rights under the Act, the forest dwellers of the village informed that “once the forester was telling that we would also get patta over forest”. When we again asked, whether the forester was talking of the whole forest on which the community have access over and moves around, they said “no, no only the forest given under VSS”, But when we shared about CFR, Community Forest Rights with them, “we will definitely claim over them as we have been protecting it since generation” they said. There is also a VSS formed under JFM but is not active.
Implementation of FRA in Pallaharda Subdivision of the District
There are 26 GPs in the Pallaharda block cum Sub-division under two police circles Khamar and Pallaharda of the Angul District. Tribal are mostly inhabited in these areas excluding only two GPs.  In the khamar area most of the forest lands are revenue forest land while reserved forests are there in the Pallahada area. Malyagiri Adivasi Sangharsha Manch is active in 200 villages including 150 revenue villages. The forest hamlets/villages are located in the Malygiri Reserved forest area,Chumbhatia RF and Pabudi RF  coming under the Deogarh Forest Division.  The member of  Malyagiri Adivasi Sangharsha Manch reported that in these 200 hundred villages, around 5400 individual forest rights claimed have been filed including  community forest rights claims.

Training on FRA
No initiative was taken from the SDLC to organize any meeting/training programme on FRA in the area nor was training provided even to the FRC members of the villages. However the sangathan Malyagiri Adivasi Sangharsha Manch have taken initiative and have organized meeting and training for their people.

Formation of FRC
In these areas, FRC were formed after two to three months after March 2008 because of the lack of initiative taken by the Block officials. There was also confusion amongst of the community people who believed that this Act will only benefit the tribals. Accordingly, in the villages where tribal are minority,   the other community did not took interest in the formation of FRC. The delay was also because of the village politics and party politics. Even, the delay in forming FRC in the areas was also due to lack of proper representation of the women in the FRC as per the FRA, and confusion between the VSS and FRC.
In the areas, all the FRC have been formed at the revenue village level.

Form
In some areas, the claimants collected application forms from the Block/SDLC while in other villages, when they did not get forms, the Sangathan printed the application forms and distributed amongst the claimants.

Application submitted
After 5 to 6 months of the FRC formation, and after the recommendation of respective Gram Sabhas duly forwarded by the GPs, FRC members went to the SDLC to submit their claims. But the SDLC asked them to submit them at the Tahasildar. Accordingly the Tahasildar received the individual and community forest rights claims. As no training was given to the FRC members/ GP officials on the Act, many a times the GP officials had to sent back the claims and resolutions of the FRC before finally forwarded them.

Filed Verification
It was after one year of submission of the claims; field verification was started in the area. The villagers reported that no prior intimation have been made by the FRCs to the Forest officials/Revenue officials for field verification in the areas. They also reported that when the field verification started, “no prior intimation/notice was made by the Technical Team to the FRC members/villagers before coming to the villages for field verification. “They just told verbally to a person of the village whom they met just before one day”.

“Only two persons (one RI and one peon) were turned in the name of field verification to the villages in the areas. No forest officials participated in the filed verification” the FRC/community members said. The villagers also informed that “where people were remained present they gathered and took part in the field verification”. “They just moved around some plots of the village and completed the field verification process horridly”

No verification has been done on the community forest rights claims in the area.

Area Approved
As no proper and fresh field verification was done in the areas, the amount of area shown in the pattas distributed has been totally manipulated. Laxman Pingua, a claimant of village Rangipal under Rohida GP who  claiming to have possesses 5 acres of forest and duly claimed under FRA has been given patta of one acre, Dasarath Kala of the same village who possesses and has claimed 3 acres of forest land and has given patta of only 60 decimal etc

Village Raghunathpur under Injidi GP of the Pallaharda block is a pure tribal village where 52 tribal had filed for their individual forest rights. When field verification was done, it was done haphazardly and at the end pattas were distributed only to 22 claimants. The amount of areas given in all these pattas are in between 20 to 30 decimal.

The claimants of the area are surprised at this incident and strongly made complaint before the SDLC/Sub Collector and they have received a consolation that what has happened is in the 1st phage and all the rest plots will be verified and all the quarries will be addressed in the second phage,

Distribution of Pattas/entitlements

As per the reports from the areas, out of the 200 operational villages of the Malyagiri Adivasi Sangharsha Manch, only 30-40 villages have been partially and haphazardly distributed pattas and rest of the villagers are still waiting for the patta to receive. There are 250 households in the village Mundaribeda (a revenue Village cum GP) out of which 92 ST households have applied for their individual forest rights and till date, only 52 persons have been issued pattas. Even whatever pattas have been issued the amount of area mentioned is not proper as per the villagers. In Rohila GP, individual forest rights claims have been filed in a number of villages like 1. Rangiapal (a pure ST village) where 80, Tuabasa- 132, Bhojpur-7 and Mangurmuhara-88 numbers of individual forest rights claims have been filed, verification have been done haphazardly but no patta have been issued yet.

Some pattas have been distributed at the RI offices while some patta have been distributed at the Block office by the Sub –collector of the area.

At Present the whole process is stopped, no field verification is being done, no patta is being issued in any villages of the area.

Issues Emerged out of the field Visit to the village Kalavira and Pallaharda areas of the  Angul District.

1. FRC was formed at the revenue village level in the whole district including the revenue village (Kanja) which is 5 km away from the forest Village Kalavira. The inhabitants/forest dwellers were not properly informed about the provisions of the Act. Otherwise they could have formed their FRC at their own village.

2. The RI/Amin /forest officials have filled up the claim forms and collected the signatures of the inhabitants of village Kalavira without asking of the amount of land they possessed and prepared the pattas/entitlements and distributed them. There is neither presence of Gram Sabha nor the presence of FRC in the whole implementation process.

3. Of course survey has been done in the Kalavira village but it is yet to be converted into a Revenue village despite of the provision under FRA.

4. There was no fresh field verification of the occupied forest land and petta were finalized based on the previous survey done leading to the gap between forest land under actual possession and the pattas/entitlements issued. All the Inhabitants of the village Kalavira are not satisfied with the amount land mentioned in the pattas including Somnath Behera who have been issued 24.68 acres of land in the joint patta.

5. In case of Pallaharda Sub Division also no fresh field verification of the claimed land have been done and cases have been decided based on the encroachment cases filed leading to the vast gap between the land under possession and claimed and pattas being issued. No patta have been issued to others claimants against whom the SDLC do not have any record. This is the scenario of most of the districts in Orissa where forest rights Act is being implemented.

6. The patta/entitlement under question is in fact “joint patta” (having 41 plots and 24.68 acres) in the name of 4 persons (4 households) which need to be separated. The District Administration/DLC Members (DWO, Sub-Collector and Collector) have admitted of the mistake and going to correct it. But till the end of May 2010, no correction has been made nor have separate pattas been issued to them.

7. Even some OTFD have not issued pattas who are living in the same village along with the other villagers from generations.

8. No prior information to the FRC/Gram Sabha was made before coming to the villages for filed verification. The Technical Team collected signatures of the President and Secretary of FRCs in the blank “field verification format” and have violated the FRA disregarding the authority of the Gram Sabha and FRC under the Act.

9. Villages where ST are in minority, the OTFD are not taking interest in filling claims and in holding gram sabha and approving the claims.

Report by Dipti Ranjan Kanungo; Jajpur: The construction work for Tata Steel Project at Kalinganagar continued for the fourth consecutive day on Monday amidst opposition from the Visthapan Virodhi Jan Manch (VVJM) supporters. A few women activists, led by Gobarghati Sarpanch Swarnalata Banara, tried to disrupt the work in the morning by pelting stones at the workers.

They also burnt the tyres of a truck near the work site. The women workers those at the site also suffered due to the unprecedented attack on them. However, present on the spot, police had to intervene in the situation. Santi Jamuda of Champakoila village, Bina Laguri of Baiduburi Village, Parbati Jamuda of Chandia village have been injured.

Three women supporters of VVJM- Gobarghati Panchyat Sarpanch Swarnalata Banara, Jamina Banara of Belahudi village and Pitani Tiva of Ambagadia village were handed over to the Police by the Vishapita Unnayan Parisad (VUP) women activists and the police has arrested them .

Tahasildar  Subash Chandra Nathsharma told  that the work started peacefully in the morning like other previous days but it was unfortunate that despite our request the VVJM supporters are always trying to take law into their hands. Vishapita Unnayan Parisad (VUP) leader Biren Jamuda also criticised the act of VVJM and said all possible steps will  be taken to establish the Tata project here. We have sacrificed our houses and lands for the project and we can’t allow these handful people to disrupt the process, he said.

The police administration has been put on a high alert following the developments. and imposed 144 in the area. The District Collector Pramod Kumar Mohanty, SP  D.S Kuchhe, TATa project resident executive Rakesh Chintak went to the spot to watch the situation.

Kalinganagar police station IIC KC Mund said that the situation has become normal, and we will go ahead to restore peace in the region. However, in a significant development in favour of the Tata project at the Kalinganagar Industrial Complex, a group of 80 women from the displaced families who have been rehabilitated by the company, participating in the plant construction work on Monday.