Rayagada: The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of former civil servants from all-India and Central services, has written an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu, expressing concern over the alleged wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in the state and seeking immediate intervention in the contentious Sijimali mining project in Rayagada district.
In the letter addressed to the president, the group said it was deeply disturbed by reports of police action in Kantamal village of Rayagada, where tribal residents were allegedly chased while trying to defend their community rights.
Media reports cited in the letter claimed that more than 70 people were injured during clashes between villagers and police.
The outfit stated that the affected region falls under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides special protections for tribal areas.
Drawing parallels with the landmark Niyamgiri case, the group recalled how the Supreme Court in 2013 upheld the authority of Gram Sabhas under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), leading all 12 concerned Gram Sabhas to reject a proposed bauxite mining project in the Niyamgiri hills.
The group alleged that similar attempts are now being made in the nearby Sijimali region, less than 50 km from Niyamgiri, where forest land is proposed to be diverted for mining.
It claimed that the Stage-I forest clearance granted in December 2025 was based on allegedly fraudulent Gram Sabha resolutions passed in 2023.
According to the letter, villagers have alleged that non-residents participated in Gram Sabha meetings, while the names of minors and deceased persons were also shown as attendees.
It further claimed that consent was obtained through fraud and manipulation, and that in some cases, the meetings may never have actually taken place.
The group also noted that two-gram panchayats had approached the Orissa High Court in February 2025 seeking cancellation of the 2023 resolutions.
Though the matter was disposed of in March 2025 with directions to the Centre to consider the concerns raised, road construction work for the mining project allegedly continued under police protection.
Calling the developments a violation of the spirit of the SC’s Niyamgiri judgment and the 1997 Samatha verdict, the CCG said tribal lands and common resources should not be transferred to private entities without proper consultation, consent, and benefit-sharing.
The signatories urged the president to ensure a comprehensive re-examination of the December 2023 Gram Sabha resolutions and sought suspension of the Stage-I forest diversion clearance pending inquiry.
They also demanded an immediate halt to road construction in the Sijimali mining area.
Further, the group requested that criminal cases registered against tribal protesters be reviewed by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and called for stronger implementation of the Forest Rights Act to protect both individual and community rights of tribal communities.