Odisha plans corpus fund to protect land rights of SC/STs

Bhubaneswar: Odisha govt is planning to create a corpus fund to buy land from scheduled castes (SC)s and scheduled tribes (ST)s in case they face any exigency and return the same when they are in a position to buy it back. The move is meant to prevent influential people from coercing the vulnerable section into selling their land.

"While every effort is being made to ensure that SCs and STs don't need to sell their land in distress, if they still want to monetise it for any reason, the govt plans to buy and keep the land protected for two-three years. If during that time, they want to buy back the land, they can do so at the same price," revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday.

If the sellers are not in a position to take back their land within the grace period, the same will be auctioned. As per plan, land sold by members of SC/ST community would be sold only to members of that particular community so that the total land under the possession of SCs and STs doesn't decrease.

Pujari said detailed modalities of the plan would be worked out by a high-level committee after consultation with all stakeholders to prevent SC/STs from being exploited while enabling them to monetise their assets whenever they need it for higher education of a child or for any other reason.

Currently, there are restrictions on SC/STs selling land. STs can't sell land to non-tribals in scheduled areas (tribal-dominated areas) such as Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Rayagada districts, besides Kuchinda tehsil of Sambalpur district; Keonjhar, Telkoi, Champua and Barbil tehsils of Keonjhar district; Kandhamal, Baliguda and G Udayagiri tehsil of Kandhamal district; R Udaygiri tehsil; Gumma and Rayagada block of Parlakhemundi tehsil in Parlakhemundi sub-division of Gajapati district; parts of Ghumsur sub-division in Ganjam district; Thuamul Rampur and Lanjigarh blocks of Kalahandi district; and Nilagiri block of Balasore district, all of which have been notified as scheduled areas in Odisha. STs in non-scheduled areas and SCs across the state need permission from sub-collectors to sell their land.

In Nov 2023, the then BJD govt had approved a proposal to amend the Orissa Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (by STs) Regulation, 1956, allowing tribals to sell their land to anyone they want. The same, however, was withdrawn after protests from various quarters.

Bhubaneswar: Odisha govt is planning to create a corpus fund to buy land from scheduled castes (SC)s and scheduled tribes (ST)s in case they face any exigency and return the same when they are in a position to buy it back. The move is meant to prevent influential people from coercing the vulnerable section into selling their land.

"While every effort is being made to ensure that SCs and STs don't need to sell their land in distress, if they still want to monetise it for any reason, the govt plans to buy and keep the land protected for two-three years. If during that time, they want to buy back the land, they can do so at the same price," revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday.

If the sellers are not in a position to take back their land within the grace period, the same will be auctioned. As per plan, land sold by members of SC/ST community would be sold only to members of that particular community so that the total land under the possession of SCs and STs doesn't decrease.

Pujari said detailed modalities of the plan would be worked out by a high-level committee after consultation with all stakeholders to prevent SC/STs from being exploited while enabling them to monetise their assets whenever they need it for higher education of a child or for any other reason.

Currently, there are restrictions on SC/STs selling land. STs can't sell land to non-tribals in scheduled areas (tribal-dominated areas) such as Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Rayagada districts, besides Kuchinda tehsil of Sambalpur district; Keonjhar, Telkoi, Champua and Barbil tehsils of Keonjhar district; Kandhamal, Baliguda and G Udayagiri tehsil of Kandhamal district; R Udaygiri tehsil; Gumma and Rayagada block of Parlakhemundi tehsil in Parlakhemundi sub-division of Gajapati district; parts of Ghumsur sub-division in Ganjam district; Thuamul Rampur and Lanjigarh blocks of Kalahandi district; and Nilagiri block of Balasore district, all of which have been notified as scheduled areas in Odisha. STs in non-scheduled areas and SCs across the state need permission from sub-collectors to sell their land.

In Nov 2023, the then BJD govt had approved a proposal to amend the Orissa Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (by STs) Regulation, 1956, allowing tribals to sell their land to anyone they want. The same, however, was withdrawn after protests from various quarters.