Tribal Land: Stricter Rules On Cards, DCs’ Power To Be Curtailed

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State government is mulling strict measures to protect the tribal land by bringing in necessary changes in the departmental procedures. This move has been undertaken following reports that over the years many plots of lands in the protected tribal belts and blocks have been bought by a few non-tribals using various illegal tactics.

According to the existing rules, lands in these government-secured areas can be sold only after the Deputy Commissioners issue the ‘No Objection Certificates’ (NOCs) to the parties concerned. However under the proposed rule, this power of the DCs will be curtailed. Then the DCs will have to forward such cases with their comments to the State Revenue and Disaster Management Department ; and the mandatory NOC will be issued only by the Department after it intricately studies the respective cases. The rule will especially apply to instances where such lands are sought to be sold to prospective tribals.

It has also been learnt that once the proposed rules get the Cabinet’s approval, the pilot project will be implemented in the first phase only in Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro) districts. Speaking to The Sentinel, an official of the State Revenue and Disaster Management Department said, “Presently discussion is on, and we are studying various aspects to ensure that land in tribal belts and blocks are not sold to any non-tribal.”

There are 85, 80,842 bighas of land under 17 tribal belts and 30 tribal blocks in the State. The process of reservation of land under such belts and blocks started soon after the country’s independence. The first notification towards this end was issued on December 5, 1947 when land were reserved in Sidli situated in the undivided Goalpara district. Land was preserved in Lakhimpur district for the second time through an official notification issued on April 28 in 1948.

Also Read: Outsiders encroach tribal land: NCST