The Odisha Dalit Adhikar Manch has once again alleged that the State Government has been depriving landless families, sharecroppers and Dalits of various Government benefits by not providing lands to them as per law.
The Manch made this allegation at a meeting held here on Monday.
“landless families are not getting benefits such as houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, toilets under the Swachh Bharat Yojana, drinking water, free electricity and connecting roads as they have no land of their own. Even as there is law, the State Government is not providing land to them,” alleged the Manch.
It also alleged that the State Government is also not providing land to agriculture labouers and sharecroppers while there is law in this regard. Dalits have been stripped of getting patita, jungle and excess ceiling land.
“As the State Government is not enacting any law for protection of sharecroppers, farm-related suicides are increasing, most of sharecroppers are migrating to outside in search of work and production of crops declining,” pointed out members.
They further alleged that the development of Dalits has been disrupted as no law has been framed for utilisation of SCSP and TSP funds.
They slammed the State Government for creating land bank to provide land to private companies and threatened to create mass movements in protest over all these issues.
The meeting presided over by Manch State president Manas Jena was attended by Manch activists from different districts of the State. Among others, convenor Prashant Mallick, advisor Madhusudan Yadav, Dhenkanal district president Kamaksha Prasad Nayak, Gandia block coordinator Mamata Sethi, Jajpur district coordinator Prasanna Mallick, Boudh district president Ganghadhar Hansh, Jharsuguda coordinator Sumitra Pere, Khorda district president Rajeev Nayak, Cuttack president Trinath Mallick and presidents of many districts were present.