AAP Claims BJP Govt Forcibly Acquired 950 Acres of Tribal Land in Sundargarh for Dalmia Cement

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday accused the BJP government in Odisha of forcibly acquiring 950 acres of tribal land in Sundargarh district for the expansion of Dalmia Cement. Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh stated that the acquisition violated the PESA Act, which requires consent from Gram Panchayats before tribal land can be acquired. He said no such consent was obtained from five Panchayats and around 11 to 12 villages.

Sanjay Singh claimed that police force was used to illegally occupy the land, and that the matter is currently before the Supreme Court. He added that he has submitted a notice to raise the issue in Parliament. The AAP leader described the BJP and Modi government as anti-Dalit, anti-tribal, and anti-poor.

Addressing a press conference at the AAP headquarters on Wednesday, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, "Forcibly acquiring the land of farmers, tribals, Dalits, and other marginalized communities without compensation and evicting them using police force has become the hallmark of the BJP and Modi government. Wherever the BJP has either a double-engine or single-engine government, its only objective is to seize land for capitalists by any means necessary, even if it means using bullets or batons."

The AAP senior leader further stated, "The law clearly states that tribal land cannot be acquired or occupied without the consent of the Panchayat and the tribal community. But in Sundargarh, no consent was taken from five Panchayats and around 11 to 12 villages, and their land was seized through force. The matter is currently before the Supreme Court, and I have also submitted a notice to raise this issue in Parliament."

Sanjay Singh asserted, "The Modi government is anti-Dalit, anti-tribal, and anti-poor." He urged the BJP’s double-engine government in Odisha to take note of the injustice and atrocities being committed against tribals and immediately halt the illegal land acquisition.

Landowner Rakesh Roshan from Sundargarh said more than 950 acres of their land were taken without knowledge or consent, and they only realized the loss when attempting to sell paddy. He stated their struggle began in 2018, involving protests, a padyatra, and demonstrations outside the Governor’s office, during which false cases were filed and community members arrested.

Speaking on the occasion, landowner Rakesh Roshan from Sundargarh said, "It is deeply unfortunate that Odisha’s Chief Minister, the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs from our Sundargarh district, and even the President of India all belong to the tribal community, yet we are unable to protect our land. More than 950 acres of our land were taken without our knowledge or consent. We only came to know that our landholding had been reduced when we went to sell our paddy."

Rakesh Roshan further noted, "When our land was forcibly acquired with police deployment, our fields had standing masoor and urad crops. Those crops were bulldozed, and pits 202 feet deep were dug. Mining operations to extract stone are now underway on around 27 acres of land. Reports by the CAG and the RDC also state that the consent of the Gram Sabha was never obtained."

He said that the Gram Sabha had clearly resolved not to part with even an inch of land because Dalmia Cement had already acquired their land on four previous occasions. He added that only a few acres remained for future generations. "As tribals, land was our backbone and the foundation of our identity," he emphasised.

AAP Odisha State President Nishikant Mohapatra said that despite having a tribal Chief Minister, a tribal Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, and a BJP double-engine government, tribal land in Sundargarh is still being grabbed. He alleged that authorities hold Gram Sabha meetings at night and send police into villages, arrest activists, and conduct lathi-charges. He stated that the livelihoods of nearly 10,000 people are at serious risk.

AAP Odisha State President Nishikant Mohapatra said, "Despite having a tribal Chief Minister in Odisha, a tribal Union Minister at the Centre, and a BJP double-engine government, tribal land in Sundargarh district is still being grabbed. Instead of holding Gram Sabha meetings during the day, the authorities are sending police into villages at night, arresting activists, and lathi-charging local residents."

Nishikant Mohapatra pointed out that the entire area fell under the Scheduled Areas covered by the PESA Act, yet its provisions were being ignored and land was being forcibly acquired through coercion. "As a result, the livelihoods of nearly 10,000 people have been put at serious risk," he pointed out.

He strongly stated that the AAP fully supported the tribals’ struggle and stood firmly with them. He warned the government and said, "Immediately stop the ongoing forced land acquisition being carried out without people’s consent, listen to their concerns, and withdraw this black order."