Protesting the amendment made by the State Government in the Winter Session of the State Assembly on land Revenue Code regarding acquisition of tribal land, the Congress party has asserted that the Government has no right to make amendment in the law of notified areas.
In a joint Press conference held here on Friday, tribal leaders of Congress party’s State Tribal Wing, Shishupal Sori, legislator Mohan Markam and Santkumar Kumar Netam said that the amendment made by the Government was done under the pressure from the corporate sector. “It is an attempt to give backdoor entry to the private industrialists in the notified areas of the State”, said Sori.
He further said that they are not against the development of tribal areas but as already, there is land acquisition law, then there was no need to make any amendment in it.
“Though, it is mentioned in the amended code that land would be acquired only after mutual consent, it is a clear intention of the Government that they are going to benefit the private industrialists as it is not mentioned in the amendment that the land would be acquired only to build schools and hospitals by the Government”, he said. The long term consequences of the government’s move would be disastrous, Sori added.
legislator Mohan Markam said the Congress MlAs had opposed the amendment bill in the Assembly and also demanded voting for it. But as they were lacking in the numbers in the House, the government passed the bill with having majority. We also demanded to send the matter to the select committee, but all in vain, he said.
Some of the tribal BJP leaders have also come forward and are protesting the move and it is the need of the hour that all the tribal leaders leaving aside party lines should come forward to exert pressure on the Government so that it withdraws the amendment, the tribal leader said.
“Keeping in view that the new amendment was against the interest of tribals, we are strongly protesting it and are creating awareness among tribals,”, he added.