BHUBANESWAR: Around 48 hours after allowing transfer of land owned by tribals to non-tribals, the state government on Friday made a U-turn following Opposition backlash and put the cabinet decision on hold.
The decision was announced by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi on social media platform X on Thursday night. “The proposed Amendment to Regulation-2 of 1956 discussed in the Cabinet meeting held on 14th November 2023, regarding transfer of Tribal lands has been withhold (sic),” he announced in X.
However, the manner in which the decision on transfer of land was taken by the cabinet and its withdrawal has come in for strong criticism. Though the cabinet agenda on the subject was released to mediapersons after the meeting, Marndi later told mediapersons that no such decision was taken by the cabinet. The topic was only discussed, he added.
A release issued by the state government also maintained that 12 agenda items of 11 departments were presented and all have been approved in the cabinet. The proposed amendment to Regulation-2 of 1956 was part of the 12 agenda items.
Leader of Congress Legislature Party Narasingha Mishra maintained that decisions taken by the cabinet can be annulled by itself or the chief minister. This is the process and a minister cannot undo a decision taken by the cabinet, he added.
The state cabinet had on Wednesday allowed tribals to make a gift, exchange for public purposes or obtain loan by mortgaging land in a public financial institution for agriculture, construction residential house, higher studies of children, self employment, business or small scale industries. A scheduled tribe person may also transfer the land to a non-tribal for the above purposes, it had decided.
However, the state government had in 2002 passed a legislation in the Assembly preventing transfer of tribal land to non-tribals. Then the Congress which was the main Opposition political party had demanded that tribals be allowed to mortgage their land for availing loans.