Satya Praksh Nayak
Bhubaneswar (TBN), December 19, 2025:
Protests by tribal communities have intensified in the Lanjiberna–Rajgangpur region of Odisha against land acquisition by Dalmia Cement Company, with activists alleging that the process is illegal, unjust and in violation of constitutional provisions.
The Odisha unit of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has accused the company of flouting democratic norms and constitutional safeguards while acquiring land in a Scheduled Area. According to local tribal residents, their ancestral land—crucial to their livelihood and survival—is being taken over without following due legal procedures, pushing their existence and future into uncertainty.
The affected communities allege that mandatory processes for land acquisition were ignored, including the requirement of informed consent from the gram sabha. They also claim that key laws protecting tribal rights in Scheduled Areas, as well as provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, have not been complied with.
Environmental activist Prafulla Samantara warned that the agitation would escalate further if the alleged illegal occupation is not stopped immediately and if the voices of the tribal communities are not heard. He stressed that continued disregard for constitutional and legal safeguards would only deepen public resistance.
NAPM and local groups have demanded an immediate halt to the land acquisition process, a judicial inquiry into the matter, and strict protection of the constitutional and legal rights of tribal communities.
