Odisha Government to purchase land of SC/STs to protect them from exploitation
BHUBANESWAR : The state government has planned to purchase land from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities to protect them from exploitation, informed Revenue minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday.
Speaking to mediapersons, Pujari said while 20 per cent of the land sale by SCs and STs is for genuine reasons like weddings, medical treatments and education expenses of their children, the remaining is often triggered by pressure from influential persons, among other reasons.
'The government had conducted a survey in this regard through the district collectors to find out the pattern of land sale by the SCs and STs. Based on the survey, it has decided to step in to prevent such type of land sale by SCs and STs by purchasing it,' he added.
The minister further informed that the government intervention will help these communities get the genuine prices for their land. Land owners can repurchase their land within three years if they want, he added. 'The state government has decided to set up a corpus fund in this regard.
A committee headed by the additional chief secretary in the Revenue and Disaster Management department will be set up to suggest how to proceed with the proposal.
The committee will hold discussions with the tribal groups, political parties, experts and people's representatives at the ground-level before finalising the report. The scheme will be formally announced basing on the report of the committee,' Pujari said.
Meanwhile, the Opposition BJD and Congress have expressed doubts whether such an initiative will work. Opposition chief whip and BJD leader Pramila Mallik alleged,
'The government acquires land for projects. This is an attempt to mislead the people.' Congress MLA Ashok Das said the government does not seem to be serious about the matter. 'What was the need to announce it before finalising the scheme?' he questioned.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Congress: Govt delaying caste census, its intention is to grab headlines
A day after the notification for the upcoming Census was issued by the Centre, the Congress on Tuesday hit out at the government, alleging that the caste census was being delayed and the government's intention appears to be to 'grab headlines and manage the narrative'. Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot also said the objective cannot just be to collect data on an individual's caste but to understand the living conditions of families and create policies to improve their lives.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Amid uncertainty over alliance with BJP, JD(S) sets out to strengthen party machinery
Bengaluru: JD(S) has launched a state-wide organisational revival drive as doubts swirl around its alliance with BJP in Karnataka. In a strategic move, JD(S) kicked off an ambitious online membership campaign on Sunday, aiming to enrol 50 lakh new members by Aug 15. As part of the campaign, JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy began a state tour on Monday from Tumakuru, focusing first on southern Karnataka districts — considered the Vokkaliga heartland — in a bid to consolidate the party's core support base. The heightened political activity in JD(S) comes amid rising tension within BJP over the future of the alliance. The two parties, which had earlier jointly taken on the Congress-led govt, have recently conducted separate agitations — notably over price rise and the M Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede incident, where they refrained from presenting a united front. While both parties have confirmed they will contest upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat polls separately, a section of BJP functionaries is pushing to sever ties entirely ahead of the next assembly elections. "BJP is strong enough to defeat Congress on its own," said Sakaleshpur legislator S Manjunath, popularly known as Cement Manju. "An alliance with JD(S) could deny us a clear mandate." But JD(S) functionaries insist an alliance is crucial to challenge Congress' dominance in the state. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Walgreens Hides This Cheap 87¢ Generic Cialis Health Alliance by Friday Plans Undo Former MLC and party election coordinator KA Tippeswamy said the alliance primarily targets assembly and parliamentary polls and would continue for the next assembly election as well. "Our party brass has decided to leave it to district functionaries to decide on a tie-up for ZP and TP elections," he said. Speaking at the launch of the membership drive, JD(S) state president and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy dismissed rumours of a rift. "The alliance is intact. Vested interests are even spreading canards about my health. Those spreading rumours about the fragility of the alliance or about my health will be proven wrong. We will present a united front to defeat Congress," Kumaraswamy said. Sources indicate BJP's central leadership is in favour of the alliance, given growing concerns about internal cohesion and the party's struggle to consolidate Vokkaliga votes. They point out that while BJP state president BY Vijayendra faces resistance from some factions, a significant section of BJP members, especially from the Vokkaliga community, view the partnership with JD(S) as vital. Former deputy chief minister and senior BJP legislator CN Ashwath Narayan echoed this sentiment, saying, "Our mission is to oust this corrupt and incompetent govt and ensure a Congress-mukt Karnataka. We will do whatever is necessary, and our high command will take a final call on the alliance and election strategy."
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"We doubt their intention to fulfil this promise regarding caste census": Sachin Pilot
New Delhi [India], June 17 (ANI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday questioned the intention of the BJP-led Union government over the caste census, accusing them of delaying the exercise earlier by citing COVID as an excuse. On caste census, Congress leader Sachin Pilot told reporters, 'BJP and PM Modi had earlier said that the demand for a caste census is being raised by 'Urban Naxals', and they even mentioned in parliament in writing that they do not want to conduct it. After pressure from the opposition, they suddenly accepted our demand. But the notification now says the census will be conducted in 2027. He also questioned the budget allocation to start the exercise in 2027. 'Earlier, they delayed it using COVID as an excuse, and even now, we doubt their intention to fulfil this promise. Around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore is usually spent on the census, but this government has allocated only Rs 570 crore in the budget' He stated that the caste census ensures that the government schemes' benefits reach every beneficiary. 'The caste census is not just to know a person's caste -- it is to ensure that government schemes are reaching the people, to check whether they are benefiting from them, and to understand the employment rate...' The notification to conduct the Census was published in the official Gazette on Monday, following a high-level meeting held in Delhi, where the Home Minister reviewed the plan along with the Union Home Secretary, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI), and other senior officials. The Population Census 2027 will begin with a reference date of March 1, 2027, for most parts of the country. The reference date for snow-bound and non-synchronous areas such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will be October 1, 2026. (ANI)
