Sikkim ryots in Odisha get land rights after over five decades
BHUBANESWAR: After a wait of more than five decades, Sikkim ryots (a category of small and medium farmers) in the state will finally have full rights over their land. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday disbursed first batch of sthitiban pattas (freehold rights) to over 10,000 Sikkim ryots across 26 districts of the state.
Sikkim ryots have been faced with a peculiar problem. They are basically sub-tenants, but have been owning the land which was sublet to them since the last five to six decades. Homestead or agricultural land sublet by owners are recorded as Sikkim in revenue records. There are over two lakh such small and medium farmers and other people who now own the land. Though there is no problem for using the land, they cannot sell or use it for getting loans.
The chief minister said because the Sikkim ryots did not have land rights, it affected them socially and economically. Describing this as a historic step, he said solving their problem has given him immense satisfaction. He said that the problem was first brought to the notice of 5T chairman VK Pandian during his visit to Kendrapara district.
The issue was subsequently taken up by the state Cabinet and a decision was taken to amend the Odisha Land Reforms Act, 1960. There was a provision in the Act that the Sikkim ryots could apply for getting their land rights if they did it by 1977. But a large number of them could not apply because of the complicated revenue laws.
The chief minister then directed the Revenue and Disaster Management department to take initiative and find out how many Sikkim ryots were left out. A task force was constituted by the Revenue and Disaster Management department to find out ways to resolve the long-persisting problem.
The task force after consultation with experts, district collectors and other stakeholders recommended that the Odisha Land Reforms Act, 1960 should be amended to resolve the issue and give land rights to the Sikkim ryots, so that they can sell, transfer or show the land to get loans.
The 5T chairman said the state government has also resolved the problem due to Gramakantha Parambok land in Ganjam district. Most of the land in Ganjam district was in the Gramakantha Parambok category. This made it difficult for the farmers to avail loans from banks and people were treated as if they were landless, he said.