Odisha Probes Satkosia Village Relocation Amid Eviction Claims

Why in the News ?

The Odisha government has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the relocation of villages from the Satkosia Tiger Reserve following allegations of forced eviction. The inquiry will examine legal compliance, beneficiary selection, compensation, rehabilitation and possible administrative violations.

Committee’s Mandate and Legal Framework

•     The committee is headed by the Revenue and Disaster Management Secretary of Odisha.
•     It will examine the village-wise relocation process in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve, excluding Raiguda, where authorities reportedly followed the prescribed procedure.
•     The committee was constituted through a notification issued on August 17, 2026.
•     It will verify compliance with major legal and institutional frameworks, including:

○      Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

○      Forest Rights Act, 2006

○      National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines

•     The inquiry will examine whether villagers were wrongfully included or excluded from the relocation process.
•     It will assess the adequacy of compensation and rehabilitation provided to affected families.
•     The committee has also been asked to identify officials responsible for procedural violations or irregularities.
•     Where violations are established, it may recommend departmental or criminal action.

Rights, Rehabilitation and Satkosia’s Conservation Crisis

•     Villagers have alleged that they were forcibly removed from ancestral settlements, despite having lived alongside wildlife for decades.
•     The committee can recommend corrective measures, including:

○      Payment of differential compensation

○      Restoration of rights

○      Livelihood assistance

○      Improved rehabilitation measures

•     The controversy highlights the challenge of balancing wildlife conservation with forest-dwelling communities’ rights.
•     Satkosia has also experienced a severe decline in its tiger population.
•     The 2007 tiger census recorded 12 tigers in the reserve.
•     By 2018-19, only one tiger remained.
•     The 2022 tiger census recorded zero tigers, with the reasons for the disappearance remaining unresolved.
•     The case therefore raises broader questions about whether displacement alone can deliver successful conservation outcomes.
•     Participatory conservation and proper implementation of rights-based relocation remain essential for long-term ecological and social sustainability.

 About Tiger Reserves & Forest Rights :

•     Tiger Reserves are notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and consist broadly of core/critical tiger habitat and buffer areas.
•     The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was established under amendments to the Wildlife Protection framework to strengthen tiger conservation.
•     The Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognises the rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers.
•     It recognises individual and community forest rights, including rights over forest resources and traditional use.
•     Relocation from critical wildlife habitats must follow applicable legal safeguards, consent-related provisions, rehabilitation measures and compensation requirements.
•     The issue reflects the UPSC theme of balancing biodiversity conservation, tribal rights, environmental justice and sustainable development.
•     Successful conservation increasingly requires community participation, scientific management, habitat protection and conflict mitigation, rather than relying solely on physical displacement.