Aiming to put a brake on the continuing fraud with the tribal community in Jharkhand in the name of SAR (Schedule Areas Regulatory) courts, the Government has decided to do away with the land settlement system in place. Holding a review meeting on Wednesday Chief Minister Raghubar Das issued a direction in this direction.
“The CM has directed to end up SAR Courts within a week’s time. It is in the direction of no-nonsense attitude towards the Scheduled Tribes. It has been felt that the community has been cheated more in the name of land settlements done. If any complaint comes up, then a more agile system would settle it at the earliest,” said Revenue and land Reform Department Secretary KK Soan.
There have been complaints about irregularities taking place while settling cases of land dispute belonging to tribals in the State. In many cases, tribal lands were transferred fraudulently to non-tribals that goes against the spirit of CNT/SPT Acts, meant to protect the property of tribal peoples.
“The CM has asked us to start working in that direction with immediate effect and also for taking follow up the procedures required for it. It is expected that the action would decrease crimes relating to land deals taking place in large numbers,” said the official.
The SAR courts were set up under Scheduled Areas Regulation, 1969 to expedite the process of land restoration to tribals.
This apart, the review meeting also saw the CM directing the land Reforms Department to complete preparation of land bank throughout the State. “We are going to inaugurate land banks in every district on January 5. Exercise to acquire sufficient lands in every district for various purposes, including industry is completed. We would be furnishing details of the land bank on the official website of each district,” said Soan.
The CM also directed to start online mutation in the State by March 2017.
In the review meeting, the CM has also directed to form a committee to sort out the problem in releasing the final report of survey settlement and suggested to amend set guidelines, if needed. “Actually surveys have been conducted on different occasions even within a district. All data is needed to be compiled before releasing the final report. We are working on it,” said the official.
The CM was conveyed about registration fee which is now getting submitted through banks in order to maintain transparency. The digitalization work of land records from 1970 to 2008 is almost complete.
Departmental Minister Amar Kumar Bauri, Development Commissioner RS Poddar, Principal Secretary of Finance Amit Khare, Secretary to the CM Sunil Burnwal and other officers were present in the meeting.