- BJP government illegally occupied land belonging to 12 villages using police force without obtaining consent from gram panchayats, says Sanjay Singh
- BJP’s sole objective has become taking land from poor and tribal communities and handing it over to corporate friends, alleges Singh
- The matter is also pending before the Supreme Court, and I have given notice to raise the issue in Parliament, says Singh
- Land is allegedly being forcibly acquired in violation of the PESA Act, putting the livelihoods of 10,000 people at risk, says Nishikant Mohapatra
- The President, Chief Minister and Union Minister belong to the tribal community, yet we are unable to protect our land, says Rakesh Roshan
New Delhi, August 2026: The Aam Aadmi Party has launched a strong attack on the BJP government in Odisha, alleging that around 950 acres of tribal land in Sundargarh district is being acquired and handed over to Dalmia Cement for its expansion.
Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP government had bypassed the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, or PESA, and forcibly taken around 950 acres of land belonging to tribal communities. He claimed that the law requires the consent of gram panchayats before tribal land can be acquired, but alleged that no such consent was obtained and that land belonging to 12 villages across five gram panchayats was occupied with the help of police.
Singh alleged that the BJP and the Modi government were opposed to the interests of Dalits, tribals and disadvantaged communities. He claimed that acquiring land from poor and tribal people and transferring it to corporate groups had become a priority of the government.
Addressing a press conference at the AAP headquarters on Wednesday, Singh alleged that farmers, tribal communities, Dalits and other disadvantaged sections across the country were being forcibly displaced from their land without adequate compensation. He claimed that governments led by the BJP were using administrative and police machinery to facilitate land acquisition for corporate interests.
Referring to the Sundargarh case, Singh said the law does not permit the acquisition or occupation of tribal land without following the prescribed procedures and obtaining the required consent. He alleged that residents of around 11-12 villages had not given their consent and that their land was taken using police force.
Singh said the matter was pending before the Supreme Court and that he had also submitted a notice in Parliament seeking to raise the issue. He urged the Odisha government to immediately intervene and stop what he described as illegal land acquisition.
Landowner Rakesh Roshan, from Sundargarh, said it was unfortunate that Odisha’s Chief Minister, the Union Tribal Affairs Minister from Sundargarh district and the President of India all belong to the tribal community, yet tribal residents were allegedly unable to protect their land.
Roshan claimed that more than 950 acres had been reduced or taken without the knowledge and consent of the landowners. He said residents discovered discrepancies in their land holdings when they went to sell their paddy. According to him, the dispute has continued since 2018, with protests, marches and demonstrations outside the Governor’s office. He alleged that protesters were booked in false cases and several people were arrested.
Roshan further alleged that when the land was taken over, crops including lentils and black gram had been planted in the fields. He claimed that the crops were cleared using bulldozers and deep pits were subsequently dug. He alleged that mining activity was now underway on around 27 acres of land.
He also claimed that reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Revenue Divisional Commissioner had indicated that the required gram sabha consent had not been obtained. According to Roshan, the gram sabha had clearly opposed handing over any land, particularly because Dalmia Cement had allegedly acquired land from the community on earlier occasions.
AAP Odisha president Nishikant Mohapatra alleged that despite Odisha having a tribal Chief Minister, a tribal Union Minister and a BJP-led government, tribal land in Sundargarh was being taken through force.
He alleged that gram sabhas were not being conducted properly and that police entered villages at night, arrested activists and used force against residents. Mohapatra said the affected area falls under a Scheduled Area governed by PESA provisions and alleged that ignoring these safeguards had placed the livelihoods of nearly 10,000 people at risk.
The AAP said it would support the tribal communities in their legal and political struggle and demanded an immediate halt to the alleged land acquisition until the concerns of the affected villagers are addressed.
Team Maverick
