Villagers from Khairbani Samutola in Jamshedpur oppose a land inspection for a proposed garbage plant project, citing violations of the PESA Act 1996.
JAMSHEDPUR – In a notable development, eight employees from the Revenue and Settlement Department of Jamshedpur Anchal Office faced opposition from local villagers during a land inspection at Khairbani Samutola village today.
Led by the village head, Diku Melgandi, the villagers voiced their strong resistance to the proposed Khairbani Garbage Plant project.
Melgandi argued that East Singhbhum district, where the village is located, comes under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
He argued that tThis mandates the adherence to the PESA Act 1996, which requires the consent of the Gram Sabha before any land can be acquired.
However, according to the villagers, the district administration has failed to follow this constitutional procedure, causing discontent among the locals.
‘We villagers have been opposing this project for the last 14 years, i.e., since 2010,’ Melgandi said.
The villagers pledged not to allow any construction on their land without the approval of the Gram Sabha, vowing to staunchly resist any attempts to bypass this requirement.
