The Dalit Adhikar Sangathan has demanded enforcement of the Orissa land Reform Act 1960, identification of the landless and distribution of land to them by issuing patta in their names.
The forum organsed a State-level consultation on land entitlement for Dalits here on Saturday in which all district level leaders participated and raised voice against exploitation of the SCs and STs in the matter of land. Speaking on the occasion, former MP Mohan Jena said despite the existence of different schemes and programmes for the socio-economic progress of the poor and marginalized, the dilemma of the Dalits still remains largely unchanged.
“It is reported that 80 per cent of Dalits live in rural areas, 86 per cent are landless, 60 per cent are dependent on occasional employment and only 30 per cent are literate in the State,” said Jena demanding that the Government should take steps for elimination of socio-economic disparity and well-being of the Dalits.
There are a huge numbers of families that have been allotted land but have not got patta implying lacunae in the implementation of land reforms for the last four decades. Sometimes, the beneficiaries are ignorant about official procedures and hesitate to discuss the matter with the concerned Revenue Inspector or Tehsildar. While sometimes, their financial condition does not allow them to be in touch with the officials on the progress of land records, said Dalit rights activist Manosh Jena. He further said that in many villages, the land that has been allotted to the legitimate beneficiaries is either unproductive or uncultivable. Negligible or no effort has gone into developing the land to make it cultivable.
In some villages, the land remains barren for years before cashew is planted on it. Also, the allotted land is usually far away from the village and adjacent villagers claim rights over the reallocated land. Physical land demarcation is also a major issue and a majority of beneficiaries are unable to identify their plot. As a result, they cultivate land that does not belong to them and are called encroachers. There are many such examples, especially in districts like Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Gajapati and undivided Koraput, Jena said.
Among others Ghasiram Panda of Action Aid , Dalit Adhikar Sanghathan coordinator Jugalkishar Ranjit, convenor Kishan Pattnaik, CPIM(l) leader Radhakant Sethi and social activist Chitaranjan Behera spoke.