The demand for a review of the power project of Adani Group in Godda gained strength when JVM leader and Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey expressed his desire for a review of the venture.

Tirkey’s party colleague and now MLA from Poreyahat, Pradeep Yadav, was on the forefront of the protest against the project.

When Tirkey was asked about his stand on the Adani project in the state during a news meet at a city hotel in Lalpur on Thursday, he replied: “No injustice should be done to the land owners and for that the government should review how the land was acquired for the project and whether or not land owners got proper compensation. I would also like the matter to be reviewed on whether power produced in the state should be supplied to Bangladesh or not.”

Prior to this statement, Tirkey spoke on tribal land issues and suggested constituting a commission of land law experts to settle land-related issues pending in the state within six months to one year.

“There are loopholes in the online land registration process. Land bank is also not flawless. Thus a commission of land law experts should be constituted to settle land issues,” Tirkey said.

Tirkey also demanded abolition of Adivasi Vikas Samiti, Gram Vikas Samiti and Kamal Club constituted by the previous Raghubar Das government.

“Adivasi Vikas Samiti, Gram Vikas Samiti and Kamal Club constituted by the Raghubar Das government through a cabinet decision on March 13, 2018, is like encroachment on the rights of Gram Sabha under Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act. Thus these committees should be immediately abolished,” Tirkey said.

The firebrand tribal leader, who is also an accused in a case related to the pathalgadi movement, said that the former government has lost the support of the tribals in the state because of its anti-tribal policies.

“The former government failed to protect forests, land and water of the tribals in the state and they became angry. This reflected in the Assembly election results when the party won only two of the 28 seats reserved for tribals and the remaining seats went to anti-BJP leaders,” Tirkey said.

On improvement in the education sector, Tirkey, who was human resource development minister in the Madhu Koda government, stressed on the need for adopting a Delhi model.

“The model which has been adopted by the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi is worth following in the state,” Tirkey said.

This was the first solo news meet of Tirkey after he won the recently held elections.