The Odisha land Grabbing (Prohibition) Ordinance, 2015 for prohibition of the activity of land grabbing is insufficient to deal with the issue and need to be revised in consultation with several stakeholders, opined political leaders and members of civil society organisations at a meeting.
It was organised by Odisha Ganatantrika Samukhya (OGS) where leaders from Congress, CPI(M), SUCI, CPI(Ml) and CPI attended, besides social activists.
They urged the Government to repeal and reenact the legislation to suit the interest of millions of Adivasis, Dalits, land less and homestead less people who have been staying in Government land for years together and their rights and entitlements have been ensured through FRA 2006, PESA 1996 and several other schemes like Mo Kudia, Vasundhara schemes. The meeting decided to organize a campaign against the move.
Former Minister from Congress Ganeswar Behera demanded that the BJD Government must bring the legislation through democratic means, not through ordinance process.
Jaganath Mishra from CPI (M) called upon every democratic minded people to oppose the ordinance which will criminalise poor and landless people.
Former MlA and CPIMl leader Radhakant Sethy said the ordinance is against constitutional rights and privileges. SUCI representative Rajendra Burma said the ordinance is to vacate people for Smart Cities.
RTI activist Pradip Pradhan presented how rich and powerful people have grabbed Government land by force or deceit.
Presenting the keynote address, OGS general secretary Sudarshan Chhotoray said the Ordinance has no ceiling on land occupied by poor and landless and so also no mention of cutoff date. Similarly, the ordinance is silent about lands regularized under FRA 2006 and regarding the provisions of PESA 1996.
The Ordinance is not in consonance with 5th Schedule of the Constitution and spirit of 73rd and 74th Amendments of Constitution which has vested more powers to Panchayat and urban local bodies, besides empowering Palli Sabhas, Gram Sabhas and Mahal Sabhas. There is also a provision in the Ordinance to set up a Special Court for speedy trial. But how far it is justifiable to evict the poor and landless people who are staying in Government land when the same Government has yet not provided land to them, he asked.
It was decided to evolve a common strategy and identify the shortcomings of the ordinance. Among others, Odisha Durniti Sangharsa Manch leader Sudhir Mohanty, Dalit land rights movement leader Abhiram Mallick, OGS leader Tahfima Akhtar and Nitu Chakhia, Prof Kulamani Jena, social activists Sandeep Patnaik and Bijoya Pradhan spoke.