Bhubaneswar, Aug. 21 (UDN): The Odisha government has constituted a five-member high-level committee to examine allegations of irregularities in the village relocation process within the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Angul district, excluding Raiguda village.
The committee has been formed in compliance with a directive issued by the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on February 9. The panel will undertake a comprehensive review of the relocation exercise and examine whether prescribed legal and rehabilitation procedures were followed.
Senior officials on inquiry panel
The committee will be headed by Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department.
Other members include Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, Principal Secretary of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department; Pabitra Mohan Samal, Principal Secretary of the Law Department; and B. Parameswaran, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department.
Retired IFS officer Anup Nayak, former Member Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), has been appointed as an independent expert. He will provide expertise on wildlife legislation, the Forest Rights Act and rehabilitation policies.
Panel to examine legal compliance and compensation
The committee has been tasked with examining the village-wise relocation process and verifying compliance with key laws, including the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and relevant NTCA guidelines.
It will also scrutinise whether eligible beneficiaries were wrongly included or excluded from the relocation process and assess whether affected families received adequate compensation and rehabilitation benefits.
Where discrepancies are established, the panel may recommend corrective measures, including payment of differential compensation, restoration of rights and additional livelihood assistance.
Responsibility for irregularities to be fixed
The committee will also examine the role of government officials in any alleged procedural lapses or violations. Based on its findings, it may recommend departmental proceedings or criminal action against officials found responsible.
The panel has been given six weeks from the date of its constitution to complete the inquiry and submit a detailed report to the state government.
OHRC stresses voluntary relocation
In its February 9 order, the OHRC observed that relocation from a core or critical tiger habitat is governed by Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and applicable NTCA guidelines.
The commission emphasised that such relocation must comply with legal requirements, including settlement of rights under the Forest Rights Act, assessment of the affected habitat and informed consent of the Gram Sabha.
The OHRC further observed that relocation should be genuinely voluntary and based on a mutually agreed rehabilitation package. It also noted concerns over alleged non-compliance with NTCA-prescribed procedures and protocols during parts of the Satkosia relocation exercise.
The newly constituted committee will now examine the matter in detail and submit its findings to the state government, paving the way for corrective action wherever violations or deficiencies are established.