The Supreme Court in 2013 had ruled that 12 gram sabhas would decide whether to allow Vedanta Ltd’s bauxite mining proposal in Odisha’s Niyamgiri hills which is inhabited by tribals. Ironically, it was the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance which established the primacy of gram sabhas (village councils) and forest dwellers through the Forest Rights Act 2006. As per the Act, a forest area cannot be diverted for non-forest purpose until gram sabhas clear such a plan. All 12 village bodies unanimously voted against the proposal which led to the refusal of green clearance to the project. Requesting the SC to set aside the NGT order, the Himachal Pradesh government in its application said, “the procedural provisions of gram sabha cannot itself vitiate the entire proceedings of the forest clearance”.

Source: Mint September 04, 2016 16:07 UTC