Jharsuguda: Tension erupts in Sripura village under Jharsuguda block on Wednesday as several villagers staged a dharna in front of M/s Epsilon Carbon Ashoka Pvt. Ltd., accusing the company of illegally encroaching upon forest land without obtaining mandatory consent from the Gram Sabha.
The protest erupted after reports surfaced that the district administration had initiated steps to transfer around 10 acres of forest land to the company. Objecting strongly to the move, the Gram Sabha passed a resolution opposing the land transfer and submitted a memorandum to the Jharsuguda District Collector on Monday, with copies sent to the Chief Minister, seeking an immediate halt to all construction and acquisition-related activities.
“We have staged this dharna to protect our forest land. We came to know that Epsilon Carbon is planning to acquire our Gramya Jungle area for its plant. No resolution has been passed in the Gram Panchayat, and no consent has been taken from the villagers. The company is proceeding without any official permission,” alleged Jasobanti Pandey, Sarpanch of Sripura village.
Responding to the allegations, Rakesh Mohan, Plant Head of Epsilon Carbon Ashoka Pvt. Ltd., refuted the claims. “The allegations are completely baseless. Our company adheres strictly to all government norms and environmental guidelines. We have not violated any regulation regarding land use,” he said.
