Cuttack: A Jeypore-based advocate and human rights activist has submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, alleging police excess and corporate non-compliance in Rayagada district. The president’s secretariat has forwarded the petition to chief secretary Anu Garg for necessary action.The communication to Garg on April 17 stated, “Attached please find for appropriate attention an e-mail petition addressed to the President of India which is self-explanatory. Action taken on the petition may please be communicated to the petitioner directly.”In his April 11 memorandum, Anup Kumar Patro alleged a “systemic breakdown of the rule of law” in Kashipur block, a mineral-rich region known for bauxite deposits in Baphala Mali and Sijimali hills.The petition highlighted an incident on the night of April 6-7 when police allegedly cut electricity supply to Sagabari, Kantamal, Jamal and Bandel villages before officers entered their homes after midnight without warrants. Residents, including women and children, were allegedly subjected to intimidation and violence.According to the memorandum, local leaders were detained without being informed of the grounds of arrest. A subsequent lathicharge reportedly left a number of villagers injured. Violence had also resulted in the injury of 58 police personnel.Asked about the petition, a senior govt official said, “The government was taking all necessary steps under the rules and addressing grievances accordingly.”The memorandum also raised concerns over the long-term impact of bauxite mining in the region. Despite nearly two decades of extraction in Baphala Mali, Patro alleged that local communities have seen little socio-economic benefit. He accused a private alumina project of causing environmental damage due to red mud leakage, affecting agricultural land in villages like Paikkupolkhal and Karanjikupolkhal.Further, the petition claims displacement benefits have been reduced since 2012 and that many affected families have not received promised employment.
