10-05-2025
Plea to Koraput collector on land rights for tribals
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Bhubaneswar: Representatives from
Narayanpatna
and
Bandhugaon blocks
submitted a memorandum to the
Koraput district collector
on Saturday, highlighting issues of land rights and alleged police delegation, comprising 33 signatories, including several sarpanchs, emphasised that despite these blocks falling under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution with over 80% ST and SC population, most families remain landless due to historical dispossession by non-tribal to the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census, both blocks are classified as severely "deprived".
Since 2005, residents have been demanding "freedom from bondage, alcohol, and landlessness", but claim their voices were suppressed through false cases and arrests."The police implicated hundreds of our people in fabricated cases of sedition and terrorism. Currently, there are outstanding warrants against 1,100 individuals who aren't even aware of the charges against them," said Nachika Linga, who led the memorandum highlighted an incident when senior govt officials acknowledged the improper implementation of Regulation 2/1956 and Amendment Act 1/2000, which were designed to prevent
tribal land alienation
.
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Despite the state govt's 2011-12 announcement of a high-level committee to address these issues, no concrete action was representatives demanded the immediate cessation of alleged false arrests, the establishment of an independent judicial review mechanism, strict implementation of land protection regulations, and public disclosure of the high-level committee's recommendations made from time to time.
"We seek a peaceful and just resolution to these long-standing issues. Our people deserve development and dignity, not persecution. We were long deprived of several benefits. We hope that the govt considers our demand and looks for a resolution at the earliest," Linga said that the collector's office received the memorandum and is expected to review the demands.
