Odisha forms high-level panel to probe village relocations from Satkosia Tiger Reserve

The Odisha government has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to examine the relocation of villages from the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR), following allegations by residents that they were forcibly evicted from their ancestral villages despite having coexisted with wildlife for decades.

The committee, headed by the Revenue and Disaster Management Secretary, will examine the entire village-wise relocation process relating to STR, except for Raiguda, which was the first village to be relocated following proper procedures. The notification regarding the formation of the committee was issued on August 17, 2026.

The committee has been mandated to examine and verify compliance with applicable statutory provisions, including the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and the applicable guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Beneficiary identification will also be scrutinised to determine if villagers were wrongfully excluded or included in the relocation process. The assessment of compensation and rehabilitation provided to affected families will also be examined.

The committee has been directed to recommend appropriate corrective measures, including payment of differential compensation, restoration of rights, and livelihood support. Additionally, the government has specifically asked the committee to identify officers responsible for any procedural irregularities or violations and recommend appropriate departmental and criminal action.

The committee was constituted following a direction from the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) to set up a high-level inquiry into the entire village relocation process linked to STR.

The STR has a troubled history of tiger conservation. The state's 2007 census recorded 12 tigers, but by 2018-19, only one remained. The 2022 tiger census recorded none, leaving the reasons for the population's disappearance unresolved.

In a bid to revive the population, India's first inter-state tiger relocation programme was launched in 2018, bringing a male tiger from Kanha Tiger Reserve and a tigress from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, both in Madhya Pradesh. One tiger was killed in a poacher's trap, while the other strayed into human settlements, triggering resistance from villagers. The tigress was eventually sent back to Madhya Pradesh.

The presence of a large number of human habitations — four villages in the core area, 131 villages in the buffer, and 234 villages in the surrounding impact zone of the tiger reserve — was said to be a prime reason behind the reported 'ineffectiveness' of tiger conservation. One of the 15 preconditions set by the NTCA was to make forest areas within the reserve inviolate. The relocation of villagers carried out subsequently was riddled with controversies, with villagers alleging that their consent was manufactured and that huge sums of money changed hands.

Several villagers had moved the State Human Rights Commission. Prasanna Behera, an environmental lawyer who fought the case on behalf of many villagers, said: 'One of the observations of OHRC was that Gram Sabha meetings were either not held at all or conducted without proper notice, without ensuring the required quorum, and in a hurried manner. Many eligible adult residents were absent.' He added that the enumeration of beneficiaries was carried out in a non-transparent manner.

The formation of the committee marks an important step towards addressing these grievances. The panel's findings and recommendations are expected to bring clarity to the relocation process and ensure that the rights of affected families are protected while balancing conservation goals.