Stalemate continued for the third consecutive day of the Monsoon Sessionon on Tuesday as the Opposition, mainly the JMM, created furore over the State Government’s move to change CNT and SPT Acts through an ordinance route.
As soon as the House resumed, JMM’s Stephen Marandi moved an adjournment motion over proposed amendments to the CNT/SPT Act. He referred to a Cabinet decision having taken in March and made public on May 3 in this regard for which an Ordinance was promulgated and sent to the President for his assent on June 28.
However, Speaker Dinesh Oraon declined to admit the JMM plea, bringing leader of Opposition Hemant Soren on his feet. “You have not allowed the adjournment motion and now saying that the matter can be discussed during debate on the Supplementary Budget. We don’t just want response from the Government on the matter concerning tribals but demand that the Ordinance be recalled from the President office and put before this House for discussion first,” retorted Soren while guiding his members to troop into the well.
The Cabinet had given its nod following the Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) recommendations for subtle changes in the Act. The amended provisions were meant to allow any tribal landholder to change nature of his land and use it for commercial purposes other than only farming. Also, ST lands could be taken for building rail lines, roads, anganwadi centres, schools etc besides, mining and industrial purposes after adequate compensation which is four times of the market rate.
looking at the din, the Speaker adjourned the House first till 12.30 and again for the day when it met again, but not before Soren's rhetoric. "We have seen vociferous and even violent protests against the land Acquisition Bill across the country. We don't want the same to be replayed here in Jharkhand. The Government has not taken people representatives into confidence and went ahead amending the Act through an Ordinance days before the Monsoon Session was to be called," he added, charging the Government for playing in the hands of industrialist.
later, a delegation of JMM led by Soren called on Governor Droupadi Murmu and apprised her about the issue. He requested the Governor to take back the Ordinance in larger public interest.