Tribal rights activists Dayamani Barla said that the land given to ArcellorMittal was tribal land used by communities for their living or livelihood since 1932.

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After the authorities identified 1,015 acre land in Gumla for ArcelorMittal's 12 mtpa project, an NGO on Tuesday sought to know how the land was distinguished in a district covered under the Chhotnagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act. 

"The entire land selected by the steel company comes under the CNT Act which protects tribal land from purchase and sale," claimed Dayamani Barla, who is spearheading the Adivasi-Moolwasi Astitva Raksha Manch against land acquisition in Gumla and Khunti districts where the steel major had selected land for its multi-crore greenfield project. 

"The land is used either for dwelling or for agriculture since 1932. We will continue to protest against acquisition of land and will move to court if needed," he said. 

Gumla Deputy Commissioner Rahul Sharma, however, rubbished the claim and asserted that the land identified for the purpose belonged to the government. 

"The 1,015 acre land identified recently to offer to the steel major at the cost of Rs 12.39 crore is government land," said Sharma, who was till recently the director of state industry department. 

The administration was now optimistic that ArcelorMittal would deposit money with the district administration to acquire the land and start its project that reportedly requires nearly 11,000 acre. 

Laxmi Niwas Mittal himself came to Ranchi to sign an MoU for the Rs 40,000 crore project on October 8, 2005 during the then Arjun Munda government when the economy was growing. 

The manch, however, is protesting against any attempt to acquire land spread over in Kamdara (Gumla) and Torpa (Khunti). The identification of government land in Torpa was either in progress or would be taken up at the earliest. 

"We are opposing the areas chosen by the company because they have such tribal landmarks as 'sarna sthal' (religious place), 'masna sthal' (cremation ground) and a river being used by the tribals and other dwellers," said Barla, who, as the convenor of the manch, had led two agitations and rejected offer for talks with the company. 

"On one hand the government is allotting land to tribals and other dwellers under the latest Forest Rights Act and on the other hand the authorities want to displace those people who had been there (identified land in Gumla and Khunti) since 1932," said Barla. 

Bureau Report