Former Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren has clarified his position over media reports suggesting the proposal to amend the CNT and SPT Acts were initiated when his party was sharing power with the BJP.
Soren said that the matter came for discussion in the Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) but it did not propose changing the nature of the land belonging to the tribals.
Talking to media persons a day after the report published in a section of media, the leader of Opposition said that the previous Government wanted to gain commercial tax revenue without compromising the safety of the land owners.
“The TAC during our time never discussed any proposal to alter nature of the tribal land. In fact, there was a proposal about the tribal land on which industry or mine is being run by any non-tribal. Proposal was to collect commercial tax on such land without touching the nature of the land, which is not the case in the amendments done by the Raghubar Das Government,” said Soren on Tuesday. Soren was holding finance portfolio during the then Arjun Munda Government.
He instead admitted that the proposal sent to the TAC had a provision to waive restriction of a police station for sale and purchase of any tribal land to other tribals and also ending the compensation clause by the SAR courts. Soren, on the occasion, also blamed the Government for misleading the people and using the media for political gains.
“There is a big difference in making a proposal and implementing it. It is unfortunate that the Government is misguiding people and spreading misinformation among them through newspapers. They cunningly claimed about ending compensation clause given through the SAR court as of their own. The Government is distorting facts,” added the leader.
The JMM is up in arms ever since the amendments in the CNT and SPT Acts have been passed by the Assembly. The House could not transact usual business and no question could be taken for consideration even on Tuesday in a trot. Entire first half was washed out when Speaker Dinesh Oraon adjourned it till 2 pm. The JMM continued with their sloganeering to recall the amendment Bills in the second half but the Speaker persisted with debate over the Budget presented for 2017-18.
Soren was also critical of a section of Opposition members who, he alleged, remained in constant touch with ruling party leaders and participate in their meetings. In fact, JVM and Congress have distanced themselves from disruptive tactics of adopted by the JMM.
Soren reiterated his party’s objection to the amendments and justified the disruptions taking place inside the House. “The amendments done by the Government would turn the CNT-SPT Acts into a body without soul. When nature of the land is going to change from agricultural to non-agricultural no safeguard guaranteed under the CNT-SPT Act would come into play. Such lands can be transferred to any non-tribal easily,” he said.
The former CM, however, justified the proposal to free the sale and purchase of tribal land to tribals across the State while terming it unjust. “It is improper that a tribal can live anywhere, marry anywhere but cannot purchase land anywhere in the State. It is not practical. We wanted to correct that,” said he.
The provision in the tenancy laws was tweaked under his regime but considering its violation and stopping rich tribals running away with lands of their poor counterparts, the incumbent Government had restored the status quo.