Bhubaneswar, April 9 (NationPress) The Congress party in Odisha has officially established a 13-member fact-finding committee aimed at looking into alleged police brutality against displaced individuals who are protesting the construction activities by a private firm in Sijimali, located in Rayagada district.

Following the directives from the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president, Bhakta Charan Das, the committee will be led by Saptagiri Ulaka, the MP from Koraput and AICC in-charge for northeastern states including Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, and Nagaland. The team is scheduled to visit Sijimali on Friday and will compile and present their findings at the OPCC headquarters.

“The police's actions against the displaced individuals protesting at Sijimali to advocate for their rights are deeply troubling and deserve condemnation. The Congress party is committed to ensuring that justice prevails for these individuals. In light of the incident, the OPCC president has initiated the formation of a fact-finding committee,” the official order states.

The party has further criticized the police's suppression of peaceful protests by displaced individuals in Sijimali, describing such actions as not only reprehensible but also a violation of democratic principles that silence the voices of marginalized communities seeking justice.

Additionally, the Congress party has pointed out that both the government and administration have historically failed to adequately address the challenges of displacement that arise from mineral extraction and industrial activities in Odisha.

Due to the ongoing insensitivity from successive governments toward the affected populations, many displaced individuals have found themselves without justice. It is noted that the government is itself engaged in illegal mineral extraction, thereby neglecting the enforcement of legal provisions outlined in the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) in projects across the state.

Referring to previous movements led by Congress that aimed to protect the rights of displaced communities in Odisha, the party emphasized that consistently, it is the affected individuals who bear the brunt of these projects, while Congress has been steadfast in advocating for their rights and achieving tangible outcomes.

Importantly, violence erupted on Tuesday between law enforcement and tribal residents in Rayagada district during a confrontation regarding a road being constructed related to the Sijimali bauxite reserve, resulting in injuries to over 60 individuals, including approximately 40 police officers.

Local residents have been protesting against the proposed bauxite project for several years now.