BHUBANESWAR : In the wake of the recent violence at Rakhelguda and MV-26 areas of Malkangiri district, the state government on Thursday announced a comprehensive relief and development package aimed at ensuring justice, rehabilitation and long-term socio-economic stability for the communities in the region.
Announcing the package, which was finalised at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo and MSME minister Gokulananda Mallik told mediapersons that as immediate relief, a special financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund will be provided to the family of the deceased Lake Podami, a 51-year old Koya tribe woman, whose mysterious murder and beheaded body triggered a massive tribal backlash on the Bengali settlers. The tribals attacked the settlers village in MV-26 and set many houses on fire, forcing the inhabitants to flee their homes and the area, earlier in December.
“Based on the district administration’s report, each partially or fully damaged house in MV-26 village will be given financial assistance up to a maximum of Rs 75,000 as per the assessed loss. Similarly, for repair of damaged shops, each shopkeeper will be provided assistance up to a maximum of Rs 20,000 as per the assessed value,” Mallik said.
The package includes strict monitoring of pending land cases under Regulation 2 of the Orissa Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (by Scheduled Tribes) Regulation, 1956 as amended in 2002. The district collector has been directed to review all pending cases every fortnight and submit progress reports to the revenue divisional commissioner (southern division) and the government as well.
Tribal families to be linked to key livelihood schemes of govt
The district administration has been instructed to make expeditious arrangements to secure land rights by way of providing pattas to landless and homeless tribal families under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and Odisha Government Land Settlement (OGLS) Act, with monthly progress review.
Families displaced by the Machhkund Irrigation Project will be provided permanent land titles. The Revenue department, in coordination with the Water Resources department, will formulate a long-term rehabilitation solution, the ministers said.
At the state-level, additional chief secretary, Revenue, will conduct quarterly review of all revenue-related matters of Malkangiri district.
To boost agricultural productivity, irrigation facilities will be extended to upland farms near reservoirs. Tribal families will also be linked to major livelihood schemes including the Chief Minister’s Agriculture Development Scheme, Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme and PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises.
The government has directed the School and Mass Education department for immediate filling up vacant multi-language educator (MLE) teacher posts in Koya, Didayi and Bonda tribal languages at the primary school-level. Seats in higher secondary schools will be increased and more hostels will be constructed to support students from remote areas.