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District Administration in Odisha Forcefully Digs Forestland To Construct Pipeline for Distillery

Reported by

Sandeep Pattnaik

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

February 3, 2018

May 17, 2022

Edited on

February 3, 2018

State

Odisha

Sector

Industry

People Affected by Conflict

2000

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

36

ha

Starting Year

2017

Location of Conflict

Titerikata

Boudh

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Beverages

Distillary

Land Conflict Summary

The residents of Fakirpur, Titerikata, Bishnupur and Sanasubalia villages in Boudh district have been protesting since 2017 against a grainbased distillery, along with a cogeneration power plant (which recovers waste heat from power generation), proposed by Boudh Distillery Private Limited, a spirits company based in the district. The construction of the distillery in Titerikata requires 1,200 cubic metres of water to be taken from the Mahanadi river through a fourkilometrelong pipeline. The proposed pipeline will pass through the four villages, spread across 1.42 acres of revenue land, locally known as gramya jungle, including 2.39 acres of forestland in the above mentioned villages. The residents claim that it will affect their livelihood as they have been dependent on this land for collecting minor forest produce. On December 28, 2017, despite strong protests by the village residents, the district administration and Boudh Distillery, escorted by some 200 police personnel, forcefully dug out the forestland with the help of earth movers and started work on the pipeline. The villagers filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) the same month, alleging that the forestland was being used for nonforestry purpose without the permission of the forest department, violating the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Moreover, the residents of Bishnupur had applied for individual forest rights that are yet to be recognised, thus violating the Forest Rights Act. While hearing the petition on December 1, 2018, the NGT issued notices to Boudh Distillery as well as to the divisional forest officer, superintendent of police, district collector of Boudh, chief secretary and forest secretary of the state government and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to inspect the unit in question and verify the allegations of the villagers and submit a report. The NGT also ordered immediate halt to the construction of the pipeline. On February 12, 2019, the NGT ordered Boudh Distillery to get the necessary permission from the forest department and said that the interim order of the tribunal cancelling the lease of the distillery would stay in place until permission was granted. LCW got in touch with Aswini Kumar Meher, subcollector, Boudh, in May 2021. He said: "People were agitating against the water pipeline that was placed below the ground. The Forest Protection Committee had been agitating against the construction. However, last month, the construction finished, and the issue has been resolved." LCW, however, could not verify if people have stopped protesting.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Forest and Non-Forest

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

106

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
Section 2(ii) [Authorities or state government can pass orders for use of forestland for non-forest purposes only with the prior approval of the Central government]; Section 2(iii) [Assigning of forestland to private parties or authority or corporation only to be done with prior approval of the Central government]
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 4 [This provision provides for the recognition, restoration and vesting of forest rights]; Section 3(1)(i) [Forest dwellers have the right to protect and conserve community forest resource]; Section 3(2)(g) [Central government may provide for the diversion of forestland for the purpose of water pipelines involving felling of trees subject to recommendations of the gram sabha]; Section 5 [Forest right holders and gram sabhas are empowered to protect forest resources and wildlife]
Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2003
Rule 6 [This rule stipulates the manner in which the submission of proposals seeking approval of the Central government shall be made for using forestland for non-forestry purpose and further procedures]; Rule 7 [Committee to look into various factors and aspects and advice on the proposal received by the Central government]
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Rules, 2007
Rule 8(b) [Function of the District Level Committee to examine and address claims]
Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
Section 4(i) [The gram sabha or the panchayat shall be consulted before acquiring land for developmental projects in Scheduled Areas]; Section 4(j) [The gram sabha or the panchayat shall plan and manage minor water bodies in Scheduled Areas]
Electricity Act, 2003
Section 10 [Authorized persons have the power to enter, examine and inspect equipment, plant, or any other material object]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-implementation/violation of FRA

Violation of environmental laws

Non-implmentation/violation of PESA

Violation of free prior informed consent

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Yes

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

National Green Tribunal

Case Number

Original Application 5/2018

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

District Administration of Boudh

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

M/s. Boudh Distillery Private Limited

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

The residents of Fakirpur, Titerikata, Bishnupur and Sanasubalia villages in Boudh district have been protesting since 2017 against a grainbased distillery, along with a cogeneration power plant (which recovers waste heat from power generation), proposed by Boudh Distillery Private Limited, a spirits company based in the district. The construction of the distillery in Titerikata requires 1,200 cubic metres of water to be taken from the Mahanadi river through a fourkilometrelong pipeline. The proposed pipeline will pass through the four villages, spread across 1.42 acres of revenue land, locally known as gramya jungle, including 2.39 acres of forestland in the above mentioned villages. The residents claim that it will affect their livelihood as they have been dependent on this land for collecting minor forest produce. On December 28, 2017, despite strong protests by the village residents, the district administration and Boudh Distillery, escorted by some 200 police personnel, forcefully dug out the forestland with the help of earth movers and started work on the pipeline. The villagers filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) the same month, alleging that the forestland was being used for nonforestry purpose without the permission of the forest department, violating the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Moreover, the residents of Bishnupur had applied for individual forest rights that are yet to be recognised, thus violating the Forest Rights Act. While hearing the petition on December 1, 2018, the NGT issued notices to Boudh Distillery as well as to the divisional forest officer, superintendent of police, district collector of Boudh, chief secretary and forest secretary of the state government and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to inspect the unit in question and verify the allegations of the villagers and submit a report. The NGT also ordered immediate halt to the construction of the pipeline. On February 12, 2019, the NGT ordered Boudh Distillery to get the necessary permission from the forest department and said that the interim order of the tribunal cancelling the lease of the distillery would stay in place until permission was granted. LCW got in touch with Aswini Kumar Meher, subcollector, Boudh, in May 2021. He said: "People were agitating against the water pipeline that was placed below the ground. The Forest Protection Committee had been agitating against the construction. However, last month, the construction finished, and the issue has been resolved." LCW, however, could not verify if people have stopped protesting.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Forest and Non-Forest

Total investment involved (in Crores):

106

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
Section 2(ii) [Authorities or state government can pass orders for use of forestland for non-forest purposes only with the prior approval of the Central government]; Section 2(iii) [Assigning of forestland to private parties or authority or corporation only to be done with prior approval of the Central government]
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 4 [This provision provides for the recognition, restoration and vesting of forest rights]; Section 3(1)(i) [Forest dwellers have the right to protect and conserve community forest resource]; Section 3(2)(g) [Central government may provide for the diversion of forestland for the purpose of water pipelines involving felling of trees subject to recommendations of the gram sabha]; Section 5 [Forest right holders and gram sabhas are empowered to protect forest resources and wildlife]
Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2003
Rule 6 [This rule stipulates the manner in which the submission of proposals seeking approval of the Central government shall be made for using forestland for non-forestry purpose and further procedures]; Rule 7 [Committee to look into various factors and aspects and advice on the proposal received by the Central government]
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Rules, 2007
Rule 8(b) [Function of the District Level Committee to examine and address claims]
Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
Section 4(i) [The gram sabha or the panchayat shall be consulted before acquiring land for developmental projects in Scheduled Areas]; Section 4(j) [The gram sabha or the panchayat shall plan and manage minor water bodies in Scheduled Areas]
Electricity Act, 2003
Section 10 [Authorized persons have the power to enter, examine and inspect equipment, plant, or any other material object]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-implementation/violation of FRA

Violation of environmental laws

Non-implmentation/violation of PESA

Violation of free prior informed consent

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Yes

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

National Green Tribunal

Case Number

Original Application 5/2018

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

District Administration of Boudh

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Aswini Kumar Meher, sub-collector, Boudh, told LCW: "People were agitating against the water pipeline that was placed below the ground. The Forest Protection Committee had been agitating against the construction. However, last month, the construction finished, and the issue has been resolved.

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

M/s. Boudh Distillery Private Limited

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

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