"Altogether 42 gram sabhas from Gumla and Khunti handed over a joint memorandum to the Director Industry, Aradhana Patnaik, demanding scraping of land given to the steel company in Gumla's Kamdara block," the convener of Adivasi-Moolwasi Astitva Raksha Manch, Dayamani Barla, told reporters.
"The administration has sold some pieces of land to the steel company. We will not budge an inch for any project that displaces our people," she said.
The five-point charter of demands also include strict adherence to Chhotnagpur Tenancy Act which prohibits sale of tribal land and provision of water to farmers from nearby Koelkaro river.
Steel tycoon L N Mittal had in 2005 signed an MoU with the Jharkhand Government for a Greenfield Steel project estimated at Rs 43,000 crore.
When contacted, Patnaik said that the Manch's main concern is that the ArcelorMittal is not taking villagers into confidence and is trying to acquire land through middlemen.
"They also fear being displaced," she said, adding that the department would send the memorandum to the deputy commissioners of Khunti and Gumla to look into their charges.

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