Storm in Odisha Assembly as Opposition Fumes Over Controversial Land Sale Decision
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly was on Wednesday repeatedly adjourned and no business could be transacted following protests by the Opposition over the state government’s recent decision to allow sale of lands by scheduled tribe (ST) communities to non-tribals.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress lawmakers raised slogans condemning the state government and demanded that the land sale decision be reverted to save the tribals from becoming landless labourers.
On November 14, the State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had cleared a proposal that sought to revoke the current restrictions on sale of tribal lands to non-tribal lands.
The Orissa Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (By Scheduled Tribes) Amendment Regulation, 2000 which got assent of the President of India on September 4, 2002, clearly forbids sale of tribal lands to non-tribals. It also restricts that mortgage of tribal lands only to public financial institutes.
Hours after the Cabinet’s decision, the Opposition made it an issue and dubbed the move as a “conspiracy” by affluent non-tribals and corporate entities to grab tribal lands.
Sensing that a strong discontentment is shimmering in the scheduled areas (tribal-dominated pockets), the state revenue minister Sudam Marndi on November 17 declared that the decision has been put on hold.
The Opposition is bent on complete withdrawal of the Cabinet decision.
BJP MLA and Opposition chief whip in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Mohan Charan Majhi said that the Cabinet decision reflected a hidden agenda of grabbing the land of poor tribals.
“We demand immediate withdrawal of the Cabinet decision to save the lands of the tribal people. If the state government does not pay any heed to our demand, we will organise statewide agitation,” said Majhi.
Congress legislator Suresh Kumar Routray also condemned the state government’s decision on sale of tribal lands. He threatened “strong protests” across the state if the ruling BJD did not withdraw the contentious decision.
Soon after giving its nod to sale of tribal lands to non-tribals, the Odisha government had issued a press release in which it justified the decision. It said the decision was taken as per the recommendation of the Scheduled Tribe Advisory Council.
“An ST person may, with the written permission of the Sub-Collector, make a gift or exchange for public purposes or obtain a loan by security a mortgage in a public financial institution for agriculture, construction of residential house, higher studies of children, self-employment, business or establishment of small-scale industries or transfer the same in favour of a person not belonging to ST for the above purpose. But after such a transfer, he should not be landless or homestead-less. If the Sub-Collector does not grant permission, the person can appeal to the Collector within six months, whose decision shall be final,” the press release said.
