Victory procession in city after govt denotifies Netarhat firing range

Ranchi: A large number of people, including tribals, on Friday took out a victory procession in Ranchi city to welcome the state government’s decision not to re-notify the field firing range in Netarhat.
For the last 30 years, thousands of adivasis have been on protest path demanding scrapping of the field firing range here, which was set up in 1964 under Section 9 of Maneuvers Field Firing and Artillery Practice Act, 1938, allowing the Army to conduct its annual artillery shelling and firing practice in this part of the tribal heartland.
The procession was taken out under the banner of Kendriya Jansangharsh Samiti (KJM) and adivasi organisations from Dangratoli to Albert Ekka Chowk.
Sashi Panna displaced by the project said, “It was after a long struggle of around 30 years that we have secured cancellation of the project.”
Another participant Anil Panna said that with the central government also having a role in the project, they would try to meet President Droupadi Murmu.
A delegation of KJM met the CM on Thursday and thanked him for the resolution.
The CM said, “Now the government will take steps for restoration of rights of local people on the 1,471 square kilometre land in firing range area.”
The CPI state secretary Bhuwaneshwar Mehta also welcomed the state government’s decision.