Bhubaneswar, May 29: The Centre today asked Odisha government to inform it about the steps taken to conduct gram sabhas in the proposed mining belt of the Niyamgiri hills.

Chief secretary said Bijay Patnaik said: “The scheduled caste and scheduled welfare department of the state government has issued notices to the collectors of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts for holding gram sabhas in the villages of the Niyamgiri hills in tune with April 18 judgment of the Supreme Court.”

In the notification, the state government has asked the collectors of the Kalahandi and Rayagada to start receiving fresh individual and community claims about religious rights of local inhabitants.

SC and ST welfare secretary Santosh Sarangi said: “We have already urged the Orissa High Court to nominate a district judge to ensure that the public hearing goes ahead smoothly.”

Questions have been raised on the issue of the number of villages to be covered under the public hearing. Social activist Prafulla Samantra said: “The public hearing should be held in at least 79 villages situated both in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. However, the government has tried to dilute the entire public hearing by deciding to hold it only in 12 villages.”

Samantara said a team of activists would meet governor S.C. Jamir tomorrow to apprise him of the developments so far. “We are planning to file a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court on this issue. The guidelines on selecting the villages have been clearly violated. The religious sentiments and worship rights of the tribal people should be respected.”