Bhubaneswar, July 7: Land-related tribal uprising is no longer restricted to the Maoist-affected Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon in Koraput district. Hundreds of tribal villagers today protested against a plantation drive in Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of the Odisha capital today.

The forest officials who had come to work on the drive met with opposition from nearly 200 tribal villagers, who were armed with sticks and traditional bows and arrows, at Bhalunka village in the Chandaka sanctuary area this afternoon.

The villagers alleged that the forest officials had been harassing them and trying to grab their land. “We have been living here for decades and the forest officials have torched our houses in the name of the plantation drive. They have even had one person arrested on false charges,” said Gautami Singh, a local resident. The agitators also alleged that the authorities had violated the Forest Rights Act and demanded an inquiry.

The forest officials were forced to stop the plantation drive. Sources in the Chandaka forest division said an area of 72 hectares would be covered under the plantation programme of the Odisha forest department for this year. Police forces rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

The agitators alleged that the forest officials had decided to carry out the plantation drive on the land that they use as a community graveyard. “This is a plan of the forest officials to grab the land in the name of plantation. There have been many irregularities in issuing land pattas to the tribal people. If the forest officials want to plant trees they must do it on forest land not on homestead land,” said Salo Marandi.

Sources said nearly 300 families live in the area. Forest officials, on the other hand, dismissed the allegations saying that the land belonged to the forest department.