ANI reported that hundreds of tribals including women in Chhattisgarh Bastar district last week reiterated their opposition at a public hearing against a TATA steel plant project being set up in Bastar.

The villager told ANI that we have to attend this meeting, where around ten villages have participated to protest against the TATA’s steel plant.

The report cited some of them as saying that “The government is asking for our lands, but if we will give away our lands, there will be nothing left with us. How will we earn our living and what will we feed our children with. We don't want jobs, we just want our lands.”

Environmentalists claim the steel plant will adversely affect the environment and the lifestyle of the people.

Mr Prakash Jha an environmentalist and a filmmaker said that “The government should take steps to ensure environmental safeguards. We are not against the development of the region. The construction of the plant is a good thing, as it promises to provide employment opportunities to locals, but this should be evaluated correctly. The Government should take steps to protect against the effects of the industrial plant.”

TATA Steel plans to invest INR 195 billion in a steel plant spread across 5000 acres that will create 5.5 million tonnes of steel per year but tribals are against it.

(Sourced from ANI)