Jhumpura: A controversy has again cropped up over Naibuga iron mine at Basantpur panchayat under this block in Keonjhar district as its leaseholder has reportedly tried to lay a road on land belonging to tribals.
Local residents have filed a police complaint against the leaseholder. They have has also taken up the issue with the administration.
According to reports, since 2010, the Naibunga mine has been lurching into controversies over illegal occupation of locals’ land while the administration has been accused to overlooking the matter. Orissa Post had earlier reported the issue.
The latest row has broken out over 32 decimal of land (plot-no-259) of tribals. The land is classified as homestead category. The firm faced stiff opposition from tribal families when it started to lay a road on the land January 18.
Some of the land owners Niranjan Naik, Raimani Naik and Padia Naik filed an FIR against the company at Bamebari police station. This forced the firm to halt the construction.
There was trouble over the patch of land for the same reason in December, 2017. The administration had proclaimed prohibitory orders under CrPc Section 144 December 8.
But the locals alleged that the mining firm cunningly won the support of Bideshi Dehuri, one of the land owners. The firm authorities had persuaded Dehuri to apply at the sub-collector’s office for vacating the prohibitory orders December 22.
The Champua sub-collector vacated the prohibitory orders January 9.
After lifting of the ban orders, the mining firm made a fresh attempt to lay the road which led to tension with the tribals.
Jhumpura tehsildar Janak Nayak said none can forcibly take up any kind of construction on tribal land.
Bamebari IIC Prakash Toppo refused to say anything on the FIR, while the comments of the firm authorities were not available. PNN
