Bhubaneswar, August 9: The Rayagada district administration has imposed a temporary entry ban on environmental activist Medha Patkar and six others, including activist Prafulla Samantra, restricting their presence in five villages of the district until Sunday afternoon.
According to an order issued by district collector Ashutosh Kulkarni, the prohibition — effective from the afternoon of August 8 to August 10 — covers Sunger, Adajore, Sindoor Ghati, Talajhiri, and Kashipur Gram Panchayats. Under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, the group is barred from entering, assembling, addressing gatherings, or engaging in any public or quasi-public activity in these areas.
The restriction also applies to members of the Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti and Maa Mati Mali Suraksha Manch. Authorities issued the order a day before Chief Minister Mohan Majhi’s scheduled visit to the district on Saturday to mark World Indigenous Day and distribute financial assistance under the Subhadra Yojana.
“All forms of padayatras, public meetings, press briefings, socio-political gatherings, and protest assemblies by individuals or their associates in the specified areas shall remain prohibited,” the order stated. The Superintendent of Police has been instructed to ensure strict enforcement through preventive measures, enhanced deployment, 24-hour surveillance, and detention of violators if necessary.
This action follows an incident on June 5, when Patkar and over 20 others were detained shortly after arriving in Rayagada to attend a public meeting opposing Vedanta Limited’s proposed bauxite mining project.
