RANCHI: CLarifying a regulation passed in 2018, the Jharkhand government has said that a non-tribal marrying a tribal woman will have no right over the land acquired by her nor can it be transferred to their children after the death of the woman. After death, the property will go to the family from whom the land had been purchased.The regulation was passed to safeguard tribal land in Jharkhand. The decision was taken after increasing instances of non-tribals marrying tribal women only to purchase tribal land in name of their wives on throwaway prices and selling it further on a much higher rate.
The state government, in a clarification sought by the President on the 2018 regulation, has prepared a reply saying that the regulation was made on the lines of a law enacted by the Odisha government in 2000. Officials said after the state government sent the regulation for approval, the President sought clarification on the provisions on land owned by a tribal woman after she gets married to a non-tribal.
“The reply in this regard has been prepared, which will be sent to the President soon,” said an official.
The regulation passed by the state Cabinet in 2018 had put a bar on the rights of tribal women purchasing tribal land if she marries a non-tribal.
The regulation also declared that the funds provided for the purchase of any land in the name of the tribal woman by any non-tribal will be illegal. Furthermore, it was also decided to issue caste certificate to a married woman based on the caste of her husband, which earlier was issued based on the caste of her father.