NEW DELHI, Nov 24: Under pressure from the opposition parties and the tribals rights activists, the Odisha’s BJD government led by Naveen Patnaik on Friday rescinded its earlier decision to amend an act which would have allowed transfer of tribal land to non-tribals.
The government had some 10 days back announced its decision to amend the “Orissa Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (By Scheduled Tribes) Regulation, 1956, Act” (OSATIP) which would have allowed transfer of tribal land to non-tribals.
The OSATIP not only prohibits the transfer of tribal lands but also criminalizes any forced alienation in scheduled areas. A cabinet held in the middle of winter session of Odisha Legislative Assembly, approved proposal of rescinding amendment to OSATIP.
In a statement made in State assembly on Friday, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi said, “The cabinet had on November 14 taken a decision to amend OSATIP basing on the recommendation of Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) held on July 11, 2023. Now, cabinet had again recommended further deliberation of the issue in TAC.”
It is rare on part of the Naveen Patnaik government to take back its own decision twice in 10 days. Two days after the November 14 cabinet decision, Mr Marndi took to social networking site X to announce that the proposal to amend OSATIP had been put on hold.
The assurance, however, did not satisfy Opposition political parties and tribal rights activists who declared that the prohibition on transfer of tribal land to non-tribals was non-negotiable. If OSATIP amended to effect permission for land transfer in scheduled areas, it would open floodgate and soon tribals would become without land which is important to their identity. The normal proceedings of winter session were also affected following determined opposition from the BJP MLAs against the move.
A delegation of BJP had met Governor Raghubar Das on Thursday accusing the Naveen Patnaik Government of manipulating recommendation of TAC in order to have its say in the cabinet meeting.
The delegation said, ‘in the last meeting of the TAC which was held on July 11, 2023, it was demanded for relaxation for tribals to obtain bank loans for agriculture, construction of residential houses and higher studies of children only.”
“But the government has approved transfer of immovable property of tribals to other than tribals in scheduled areas, which was not unanimously decided in the TAC meeting,” it pointed out.
(Manas Dasgupta)
