Snapshot: In February 2025, two Gram Panchayats (villages councils) filed a writ petition before the Odisha High Court, India, against local authorities, the Federal Government and Vedanta Resources, arguing that no genuine free, prior, and informed consent was ever given by affected Indigenous communities about forest clearance for the Sijimali bauxite mining project. On 5 March 2025, the Odisha High Court dismissed the lawsuit. The case is closed.

In March 2023, the Odisha Government declared Vedanta Resources the preferred bidder to exploit bauxite in the Sijimali region and granted the company a lease of 1,548 hectares of land in southern Odisha, India. Almost half of the project area overlaps with protected forests and Indigenous communities controlled-land in the Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. The Indigenous community argues the mining activity will affect their religious and cultural rights, livelihoods and could cause the displacement of families residing in part of the project area.

Under the Forest Rights Act, the company must provide the Odisha Forest Department with documents demonstrating that the affected communities consented to the diversion of forest land for the purpose of the mine. The consent must be obtained through a resolution of Gram Sabhas (village councils) with a minimum quorum of 50% of the community's adult population.

On 8 December  2023, local authorities claimed that Gram Sabhas (village assembly) of 10 villages gave “unanimous approval” for the clearance of the forest for bauxite mining in hearings held that day. However, community members allege that the process was fraudulent, and that they never gave their free, prior and informed consent.

By June 2024, Vedanta Resources resubmitted its completed mining project proposal to the competent authority. In September 2024, the special Gram Sabhas convened across the same 10 villages approved a new resolution unanimously rejecting Vedanta’s project.

In February 2025, two Gram Panchayats (village councils -which encompass the 10 villages) filed a writ petition before the Odisha High Court against local authorities, the Federal government and Vedanta Resources. They challenged the Gram Sabha’s 8 December 2023 resolution and the Forest Rights Act compliance certificates issued to Vedanta Resources by district authorities, based on the alleged lack of genuine free, prior, and informed consent given by communities.

In its response, the government confirmed the presence of the plaintiffs in the 8 December 2023 Gram Sabhas and the lawfulness of the proceedings by which the affected communities supposedly granted their permission.

On 5 March 2025, the Odisha High Court dismissed the lawsuit and reiterated that the Union Government “must take note” of the communities’ allegations of fraudulent consent and that the affected communities must give consent to the project. The case is closed.

In April 2025, the Odisha Government and Vedanta Resources submitted the project proposal to the Forest Advisory Committee, that issued the final consent for forest land diversions, and recommended approval for the project in principle.

The company then submitted an application to divert the forestland before the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change. Three months later, the Union Government temporarily halted the project, pending an evidence review on how community consent had been obtained.

Court decision: accessible here (Case WP(C) 3729/2025)