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In a representation submitted to Monitoring Committee chairman Deepak Sharma and member UV Singh on November 2, the Mining-Affected Environment and People's Livelihoods Restoration Struggle Committee alleged that large-scale mining and the movement of ore-laden trucks had caused extensive damage to the environment and affected the health and livelihoods of residents. The letter stated that despite the deterioration of the environment, the adverse impacts on public health and livelihoods, and the continued absence of adequate infrastructure for mineral transportation, successive governments have continued to enhance the permissible production limits of mining leaseholders. “It is particularly concerning that the Monitoring Committee, which is expected to regulate and monitor mining activities, has also recommended enhancement of iron ore production limits. Such recommendations have further aggravated the concerns of mining-affected communities and the already deteriorating environmental conditions,” it added. deccanchronicle.com/southern…

The Odisha government has officially cancelled Vedanta Ltd's 28.8-acre industrial land lease in Jharsuguda. After a formal inspection revealed the land had been lying vacant since its 2013 allotment—with nothing built but a boundary wall—the state's Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) pulled the plug citing prolonged non-utilisation. While the property was previously mortgaged for credit, Vedanta says the loans are fully repaid and they now hope to use the site for community healthcare infrastructure instead.

"High levels of environment pollution, series of accidents, crop losses caused by dust, roads devastated by movement of heavy lorries and the endless noise has forced us to stop vehicles from entering villages," the Sangha said in a letter to the Chitradurga deputy commissioner on September 3. Shailendra Patil of the Parishath said. "We are not against mining. But we don't want the development to happen at the cost of people. Villagers here are struggling to breathe due to the high levels of pollution," Patil said. During its meeting on September 10, the District Task Force on Mining led by the deputy commissioner took note of the protests. While promising solutions, the task force told villagers to allow 100 vehicles per day in view of a court order. Further the task force recorded that 7.15 lakh tonnes of iron ore has been transported through the roads in the five months since April. Patil said the numbers do not capture the horror of the people living through the pollution. "Every 30 seconds there is a lorry passing in the road and the dust rises up without a break. Can't mining happen without affecting the life of villagers" he asked. deccanherald.com/india/karna…

The Orissa High Court on Thursday dismissed Vedanta Ltd’s plea to revive and enforce a 2004 agreement under which it claimed the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) committed to supplying 150 million tonnes of bauxite at a specified price.The high court (HC) held that the doctrine of promissory estoppel cannot be used to compel the state to act contrary to statutory provisions or to confer an enforceable commercial right over natural resources held in public trust. A division bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Murahari Sri Raman dismissed the writ petition, vacated the interim orders passed in the proceedings and allowed the opposite parties (OMC, the Steel and Mines Department of Odisha and the Ministry of Mines) to take follow-up action according to law. business-standard.com/indust…

You are cordially invited to attend a Special Lecture on Extractive Sensemaking at Department of Sociology · Delhi School of Economics TIME & DATE: 8:45 – 10:15 AM Monday, 28th September, 2026 VENUE: Prof. M.N. Srinivas Seminar Room (First Floor), Department of Sociology CONVENORS Dr. Vikramendra Kumar & Dr. Tila Kumar

ଗ୍ରାମସଭାର ଅନୁମତି ମିଳିବା ପ୍ରକ୍ରିୟା ହେତୁ ବିଭିନ୍ନ ପ୍ରକଳ୍ପ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟରେ ଯେ ବିଳମ୍ବ ଘଟୁଛି କହିବା ଏକ ମିଥ୍ୟା ପ୍ରଚାରିତ ତଥ୍ୟ । ଅସଲରେ, ୨୦୦୮-୨୦୦୯ ମସିହାଠାରୁ ୨୦୨୨-୨୦୨୩ ମସିହା ମଧ୍ୟରେ ବିଭିନ୍ନ ପ୍ରକଳ୍ପ ଲାଗି ୩,୦୮,୯୪୫.୩୮ ହେକ୍ଟର ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଜମି ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଆଇନ ୧୯୮୦ (ସଂରକ୍ଷଣ) ଦେଇ କିସମ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ପୂର୍ବକ ଅଣଜଙ୍ଗଲ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଲାଗି ହସ୍ତାନ୍ତର ହୋଇସାରିଛି । କହିବା ଅନାବଶ୍ୟକ ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଆଇନରେ ସଂଶୋଧନ ହେବାପରେ ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଜମିର ହସ୍ତାନ୍ତର ବହୁଗୁଣରେ ବଢିଯାଇଛି । CSD ଏବଂ ଅନ୍ୟ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଅଧିବାସୀମାନଙ୍କ ସଂଗଠନଗୁଡିକ ଦଶନ୍ଧି- ଦଶନ୍ଧି ଧରି ଦାବି କରିଆସୁଛନ୍ତି ଯେ, ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଅଧିକାର ଆଇନ ଅଧୀନରେ ଆଦିବାସୀ ଏବଂ ଅନ୍ୟ ଅଧିବାସୀମାନଙ୍କ ଅଧିକାରକୁ ସ୍ଵୀକୃତି ଦେବା ଏବଂ ଗ୍ରାମସଭାର ସହମତି ଆଣିବା ଅତିକମରେ ଷ୍ଟେଜ-୧ ଅନୁମୋଦନ ପୂର୍ବରୁ ହାସଲ କରାଯିବା ଉଚିତ । ଏହାଦ୍ୱାରା ପାରମ୍ପାରିକ ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଅଧିବାସୀ ଏବଂ ଆଦିବାସୀମାନେ କୌଣସି ଅପରିହାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ପରିସ୍ଥିତିର ସମ୍ମୁଖୀନ ହେବେ ନାହିଁ । ଏହାର କାରଣରେ ଏତିକି କୁହାଯାଇପାରେ ଯେ, ଏଭଳି ସ୍ଥିତିରେ ନିଷ୍ପତ୍ତି ଗ୍ରହଣ ପ୍ରକ୍ରିୟାରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ସମ୍ପୃକ୍ତି ଏକପ୍ରକାର ଅର୍ଥହୀନ ହୋଇଯାଏ । ସଂସଦୀୟ କମିଟି ଏହା ମଧ୍ୟ ସୁପାରିଶ କରିଛି ଯେ, ଆବଶ୍ୟକ ହେଉଥିବା ୧୦୦ ପ୍ରତିଶତ ସହମତି ପ୍ରତିବଦଳରେ ଏହାକୁ ୭୦-୭୫ ପ୍ରତିଶତକୁ କମାଇ ଦିଆଯାଉ । ଏହି ସୁପାରିଶ ଭୁଲ ଏବଂ ଏହା ଆଇନର ଏକ ଭୁଲ ବ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟା ଅଟେ । ପ୍ରତ୍ୟେକ ଗ୍ରାମସଭାର ନିଜର ଅଧିକାର ଏବଂ କ୍ଷମତା ଅଛି । ଆଶ୍ଚର୍ଯ୍ୟଚକିତ ହେବାର ବିଷୟ, ଆଦିବାସୀ ମନ୍ତ୍ରଣାଳୟ ଦ୍ଵାରା ଗ୍ରାମସଭାର ଅନୁମତିକୁ ସଂପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ରୂପରେ ହଟାଇଦେବାର ଘୋଷଣାନାମା, ସଂସଦୀୟ କମିଟିର ସୁପାରିଶ ଅବା NHPCର ନିଜସ୍ଵ ପ୍ରତିବେଦନରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସ୍ଥାନିତ ହୋଇନାହିଁ ।satyapatha.com/assault-on-th…

Who captures value from extraction? At the heart of the 2026 MMDR amendment ​-  passed in the Lok Sabha today ​- is a question that sits at the core of Extractive Capital: who has the authority to determine, and ultimately capture, the value generated from India's mineral commons? The Supreme Court's landmark 2024 nine-judge judgment significantly strengthened the fiscal position of mineral-bearing States by affirming their constitutional power to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands. The 2026 amendment now seeks to constrain that power, reshaping the federal balance over mineral revenues along lines favourable to Union authority and corporate interests. What appears to be a technical amendment to mining legislation is therefore a Political Licence to Operate writ large ​- a struggle over the distribution of extractive value between the Union's regulatory authority, States' constitutional claims over resources within their territories, and mining companies seeking to minimise the fiscal costs of extraction. The path dependencies of colonial-era mineral governance, which have long privileged centralised control over resource revenues, are here being reproduced under the sign of postcolonial development. The stakes are starkly captured in the amendment's operative clause: "No tax, cess or such other levy … shall be imposed by the State Government on mineral rights or mineral-bearing lands … except in accordance with such conditions or restrictions as may be prescribed by the Central Government." This is the critical shift: the 2024 Supreme Court judgment opened the door for States to capture greater value from mineral extraction; the 2026 amendment puts a Central Government lock on that door. The mineral commons of ​Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh​, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Goa ​- territories wh​ere local communities bear the deepest entropic costs of extraction, from groundwater depletion and forest loss to displacement and dispossession ​-  will now generate revenues increasingly channelled away from the States that contain them. This is Extractive Sensemaking in legislative form: the amendment's technical framing renders invisible the scalar mismatch between those who bear the costs of extraction at the pit and panchayat level, and those who capture its value at the Union and corporate boardroom level. The question, ultimately, is not technical but moral ​- in the iron ore belt​ of India, it is answered daily in dry wells, cleared forests, and uncompensated land.