Bhubaneswar: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has taken suo motu cognizance of a tragic incident in Barkani village of Sundargarh district, where a tribal protester was allegedly killed during a demonstration against a railway line project on April 19. The protest, led by the local tribal community, opposed the construction of a new rail line by the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) extending to Dumertha.
According to reports, the villager, identified as Eto Ekka, aged 37, was crushed under a JCB excavator during the agitation, sparking outrage among the protesters. The incident led to violent clashes, with 19 people, including 16 police personnel, injured due to stone-pelting by agitators. The NCST has issued notices to the Sundargarh District Collector, Superintendent of Police, and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) officials, demanding a detailed factual report and an account of actions taken in response to the incident.
The Commission’s intervention follows media reports highlighting the event, which has raised concerns over tribal rights and the handling of infrastructure projects in sensitive areas. The NCST has announced that a team will soon conduct an on-site investigation to assess the circumstances surrounding the death and the broader context of the protest.
