Dissatisfied with government’s efforts, tribals are planning to hold a ‘people’s public hearing’ at the proposed site for Tata Steel’s 5.5. MT per annum Greenfield at Lohandiguda in Bastar district on November 7 to highlight the project’s social and environmental impact on the region and its people.

The Adivasi Mahasabha and the Communist Party of India are jointly organising the ‘hearing’ where the affected population will discuss issues pertaining to the project’s environmental and social impact.

Experts have been invited to attend the meeting and explain the various aspects of the project to the people, CPI national executive member Chhitaranjan Bakshi said.

In a letter to Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, Bakshi has said Tata Steel had prepared an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, which was “discussed and cleared” at a public hearing held at a collectorate hall 30 km away from the affected villages.

The letter alleged that many villagers affected by the project could not reach the Collectorate, as the police had put up barricades on roads due to threat from the Maoists.

Claiming that the public hearing was conducted only to show that Environmental Impact Assessment was formally accepted, Bakshi quoted from the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy 2007 provisions to point out that Social Impact Assessment clearance was mandatory for all the projects involving involuntary displacement in areas mentioned in Schedule 5 and 6 of the Constitution. However, he said that no such study was conducted and no report circulated for the public to give an opinion on or raise objections during the hearing.

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