LAND ACQUISITION AND RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DAM PROJECTS IN ODISHA

Abstract

Land acquisition is a process of purchase of land belonging to the citizens by the Government for the purpose of various infrastructure and development projects. Tribal people's rights are broad human rights in recent times. The development projects forced them to losing their land means a loss of contact with their mother land and loss of identity. Protections of indigenous land rights continue to be a major challenge, with the gap between development-induced displacement and rehabilitation in India. In India the development projects displaced so many indigenous peoples from their lands. Many of these projects are opposed for their human rights and environmental impacts. The rights of Indigenous Peoples are guaranteed in the Indian Constitution. Part IV of the Constitution lays down the Directive Principles of State Policy. Several laws and constitutional provisions in India recognize indigenous peoples’ rights to land and self-governance. The laws aimed at protecting indigenous people’s right The Indian government voted in favour of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The DPSP lay down the fundamental principles for the governance of the country and  the state is directed to secure the ownership and control of the material resources of the tribal community are so distributed as best to the common good.