India Tribal affairs minister against diluting Forest Peoples’ Rights
Tribal affairs minister Kishore Chandra Deo has warned against dilution of the Forest Rights Act for faster approval to projects and has asked environment minister Jaynathi Natarajan to ensure compliance with law while diverting forestland for projects by the ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee. The letter was written in context of different parties in Supreme Court arguing to bypass the provisions of the Forest Rights Act to advance bauxite mine of Anil Aggarwal owned Vedanta in Nyamgiri district of Orissa. See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=12089.
Mining leads to poverty, Indian Minister tells Indigenous communities opposing Vedanta
“Mining only leads to greater poverty,” Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of Rural Development explained to the tribals of Lanjigarh, Odisha at the foothills of the Niyamgiri hills. This is the union minister’s first visit to the naxal-affected Kalahandi district, a political tinderbox, where tribal interests are ranged against big corporates. Mr Ramesh insisted his visit was part of his agenda to visit all naxal affected districts and fight extremism with increased rural development.
See http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-01-14/news/36331621_1_tribals-niyamgiri-kalahandi.