National
Advisory Council member and former bureaucrat N C Saxena headed the four member
panel which recommended that Orissa Mining Corporation (the company that was to
supply bauxite ore to Vedanta’s Lanjigarh plant) not be permitted to mine
on Niyamgiri hill. ET spoke to Mr Saxena a few hours after the environment
ministry accepted his committee’s recommendations. Excerpts from the
interview:
Advisory Council member and former bureaucrat N C Saxena headed the four member
panel which recommended that Orissa Mining Corporation (the company that was to
supply bauxite ore to Vedanta’s Lanjigarh plant) not be permitted to mine
on Niyamgiri hill. ET spoke to Mr Saxena a few hours after the environment
ministry accepted his committee’s recommendations. Excerpts from the
interview:
What are the
implications of today’s decision? Some sections of corporate India feel
that laws such as the Forest Rights Act (FRA) are making it impossible to mine
anywhere at all in India?
implications of today’s decision? Some sections of corporate India feel
that laws such as the Forest Rights Act (FRA) are making it impossible to mine
anywhere at all in India?
It’s very easy to mine in this
country once you take the consent of the local communities. They are rational
people. If the project is beneficial for them, they will agree. But, look at the
development tribals get from these projects. Local communities get less than 5%
of the jobs created by these projects. In the last 30-40 years, people displaced
by projects have become destitute, not better off. The men have become
rickshaw-pullers and the women have become sex workers. Is this what we mean by
mainstreaming them? Industry should sit down and think about why its image is so
poor.
country once you take the consent of the local communities. They are rational
people. If the project is beneficial for them, they will agree. But, look at the
development tribals get from these projects. Local communities get less than 5%
of the jobs created by these projects. In the last 30-40 years, people displaced
by projects have become destitute, not better off. The men have become
rickshaw-pullers and the women have become sex workers. Is this what we mean by
mainstreaming them? Industry should sit down and think about why its image is so
poor.
What about the role played by
the state and the local administration in the poor implementation of the
FRA?
the state and the local administration in the poor implementation of the
FRA?
The administration has totally withdrawn. I asked one of
the local collectors (the Vedanta project straddles Rayagada and Kalahandi
districts) what the locals felt about the project and he did not know if they
were happy with it or not.
the local collectors (the Vedanta project straddles Rayagada and Kalahandi
districts) what the locals felt about the project and he did not know if they
were happy with it or not.
The
Vedanta bauxite project was first cleared by government bodies. It took a lot of
protests and specially-appointed committees to roll that decision back. What
does this say about the mechanism of clearing projects in the
country?
Vedanta bauxite project was first cleared by government bodies. It took a lot of
protests and specially-appointed committees to roll that decision back. What
does this say about the mechanism of clearing projects in the
country?
The company has been playing games with the
government. Instead of applying for clearances in one go, it has been applying
in parts. In the process, there has been a continuous violation of law. But
then, before 2009, even the environment ministry saw environment laws not as
something to be implemented, but as a source for rent-seeking. This is very
unfortunate.
government. Instead of applying for clearances in one go, it has been applying
in parts. In the process, there has been a continuous violation of law. But
then, before 2009, even the environment ministry saw environment laws not as
something to be implemented, but as a source for rent-seeking. This is very
unfortunate.
Vedanta has been
talking about the CSR work it does in Kalahandi. What did your committee see
while on the site?
talking about the CSR work it does in Kalahandi. What did your committee see
while on the site?
It is an eyewash. The scale is very small.
Further, the benefits of most of what they do goes to communities in the
foothills. None of it goes to the Dongria Kondhs who are the most affected by
the project. Even the Kutia Kondhs, who live on the foothills and have been
beneficiaries of the CSR activities are upset due to reasons like high
pollution.
Further, the benefits of most of what they do goes to communities in the
foothills. None of it goes to the Dongria Kondhs who are the most affected by
the project. Even the Kutia Kondhs, who live on the foothills and have been
beneficiaries of the CSR activities are upset due to reasons like high
pollution.