Tribal villagers are seen as they stage a protest against the planned narrowing of a road proposed by Vedanta in the Sijimali bauxite hill village in the Rayagada region of southern Odisha. File | Photo credit: Biswaranjan Rout
The Congress on Tuesday (April 28, 2026) criticized the Center over tribal protests against a bauxite mining project in Odisha’s Sijimali and demanded an independent probe into the unrest.
It also asked the government to ensure that the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) 1996 and the Forest Rights Act 2006 are implemented both in letter and spirit.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said Odisha is no stranger to public protests by tribal and other communities when mining projects that have major environmental impacts seek to be bulldozed, bypassing all legal and constitutional safeguards.
Published – 28 Apr 2026 13:07 IST
