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Dhinkia Gram Sabha Alleges Illegal Forest Land Diversion for JSW Project, Seeks Action Under FRA
Villagers urge Jagatsinghpur Collector to implement Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ directive dated July 14, 2026, demand withdrawal of the 2010 certificate and restoration of forest rights
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Bhubaneswar, Odisha | October 26, 2026: The Sarpanch of Dhinkia Gram Panchayat and members of the Dhinkia Gram SabhaVillage AssemblyThe primary deliberative body of local self-governance in rural India, comprising all adult residents of a village or group of villages registered in the electoral rolls. It plays a crucial role in decision-making, especially concerning local development and resource management. in Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha, have raised serious concerns over the alleged illegal diversion of forest land for the JSW project, alleging violations of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (RFCTLARR) of 2013., and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (RFCTLARR), 2013Land Acquisition Act, 2013An Indian law that regulates land acquisition, providing for fair compensation, rehabilitation, and resettlement for affected persons, and ensuring transparency in the process.. They have urged the District Collector-cum-Chairperson of the District Level Committee (DLC) under the FRA to take immediate action in compliance with a directive issued by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) on July 14, 2026.
In a representation addressed to the District Collector, the Dhinkia Gram Sabha alleged that the district administration had failed to take meaningful action despite the Ministry’s direction to examine the matter and take necessary steps under the FRA and its rules. The villagers stated that no Gram Sabha-level consultation or inquiry had been conducted to investigate their allegations.
At the centre of the dispute is a certificate issued by the then District Collector on February 22, 2010, concerning the diversion of 1,253.225 hectares of forest land across eight villages for a proposed 12-million-tonne-per-annum steel plant by POSCO. According to the representation, the certificate stated that the process of forest rights settlement had been completed, that no claims had been received from Scheduled Tribes or Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs), and that no eligible forest dwellers were cultivating or residing on the proposed project land.
KEY PROJECT METRICS
Dhinkia JSW Project: Scale of Proposed Diversion
Forest Land Diversion
1,253.225
Hectares
Proposed Steel Plant Capacity
12 MTPA
Million Tonnes Per Annum
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The Dhinkia Gram Sabha has challenged these assertions, alleging that the certificate was issued without completing the mandatory identification and settlement of forest rights and without complying with the requirements laid down in the Ministry of Environment and Forests’ order dated August 3, 2009. These requirements included documentation of the forest rights recognition process, disclosure of project details to concerned Gram Sabhas in local languages, informed consent and compliance with prescribed quorum requirements.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
2010 Certificate Claims vs. Gram Sabha Allegations
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The representation further alleges that records necessary to establish the completion of the statutory process, including Forest Rights Committee claim documents, field verification reports, meeting minutes, and proceedings of the District Level Committee, were not annexed to the certificate. It also questions the Collector’s reliance on proceedings of the Sub-Divisional Level Committee dated February 4, 2010, alleging that the District Level Committee’s statutory role was bypassed.
Earlier inquiry committees had raised concerns
The Gram Sabha has cited findings of an inquiry committee headed by Meena Gupta, constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which reportedly raised concerns about the implementation of the FRA in the project area. According to the findings quoted in the representation, the committee questioned the authenticity of certain Palli Sabha resolutions, noted deficiencies in quorum and assistance provided to Gram Sabhas, and concluded that the forest clearance process had been premature and in violation of the law.
The representation also refers to findings of a joint committee constituted by the Ministries of Environment and Forests and Tribal Affairs under the chairpersonship of N. C. Saxena. The committee reportedly found documentary and oral evidence of the presence of Other Traditional Forest Dwellers in the area and noted that some Palli Sabhas had passed resolutions refusing consent to the diversion of forest land on which they depended.
The villagers contend that these findings and recommendations have not been adequately acted upon. They have also questioned the transfer of forest clearance from POSCO to JSW in 2019, alleging that the process failed to comply with the FRA and applicable land acquisition legislation.
Alleged procedural violations
The Dhinkia Gram Sabha has raised several additional objections to the proceedings of the Sub-Divisional Level Committee, including allegations that:
• The committee relied on disputed Gram Sabha resolutions without adequately examining their authenticity, attendance records, quorum or evidence of informed consent.
• A three-month deadline was imposed for filing forest rights claims despite, according to the representation, no such limitation being prescribed under the FRA or its rules.
• The Dhinkia Gram Panchayat had not consulted the Gram Sabha regarding the status of forest rights claims, and the information attributed to the Panchayat was therefore disputed.
• The Sub-Divisional Level Committee failed to communicate its February 4, 2010, decision to the Gram Sabha, its Forest Rights Committee or its members, allegedly denying them an opportunity to appeal.
The representation maintains that government records, including census reports and electoral rolls, as well as historical documents such as nistar receipts, district gazetteers and survey maps, support the villagers’ claims regarding the presence of forest-dwelling communities and their longstanding relationship with the land.
Gram Sabha demands withdrawal of the 2010 certificate
In their representation, the Sarpanch and members of the Dhinkia Gram Sabha have made three principal demands to the District Collector, seeking immediate corrective action under the Forest Rights Act.
First, they have called for the immediate withdrawal of the certificate dated February 22, 2010, with formal intimation to the concerned authorities, including the Dhinkia Gram Sabha. The villagers contend that the certificate was issued without due recognition and settlement of forest rights and has been relied upon in the process of diverting forest land for the industrial project.
Second, they have urged the administration to extend full support to the Dhinkia Gram Sabha in pursuing claims and securing formal recognition and recording of all forest rights under the FRA. These include individual land rights relating to cultivation and habitation, community rights, and community forest resource rights. They have specifically called on the District Level Committee to hold the necessary consultations with the Gram Sabha and facilitate the process of identifying, recognising and recording these rights in accordance with the law.
Third, the villagers have sought urgent intervention to restore and protect the legal rights of Dhinkia Gram Sabha members, alleging that these rights have been violated through the illegal transfer of forest land and land acquisition for handing over the land to JSW. They have called for action to address the alleged violations and ensure that the rights of affected forest-dwelling communities are protected.
The demands place particular emphasis on the responsibility of the District Level Committee to ensure that the statutory process for recognition of forest rights is followed and that the Gram Sabha is meaningfully involved in decisions affecting its customary and legally protected rights.
Calls for implementation of the Ministry directive
The Sarpanch and Gram Sabha members have called on the District Collector to examine the allegations, initiate an appropriate inquiry and take necessary action under the FRA and its rules. They have stressed that the rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers must be recognised through the legally prescribed process before forest land is diverted for industrial projects.
Copies of the representation have also been marked to the Secretary and the Director of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, as well as the Principal Secretary of the Odisha government’s ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department.
The villagers’ principal demand is that the Ministry’s July 14, 2026, directive be implemented without further delay and that the alleged violations surrounding the original forest diversion and subsequent transfer of the project to JSW be examined through a transparent and lawful process. They have also sought the restoration and protection of community rights and the completion of the pending forest rights recognition process through proper consultation with the Dhinkia Gram Sabha.
The allegations and findings cited above are drawn from the representation submitted by the Dhinkia Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha. The claims have not been independently verified for this article, and the responses of the district administration, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and JSW were not available in the material provided.
Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Rift.
