State’s tribals can mortgage land’
http://www.dailypioneer.com/148916/‘State’s-tribals-can-mortgage-land’.html
PNS | Bhubaneswar
The State Tribes Advisory Council on Friday relaxed norms on the sale and
purchase of tribal lands in the State. A decision to this effect was taken at
the Council meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik. As per the new guidelines, a tribal can mortgage his land to get
necessary funding to start business.
As per the decision, a tribal can mortgage the land with a Public Sector Bank
and take the loan. If he fails to repay the loan, the bank can take steps to
auction the land. Earlier, the State Government banned any form sale and
purchase of lands. Later, it had created a huge problem. Even though a tribal
had enough land, he was not allowed to mortgage his land. It led to
socio-economic problem.
The Bank would have to take the approval of either the Gram Sabha or the
Panchayat if it wants to auction the land of a tribal. Talking to reporters,
Revenue Secretary GVV Sharma said at the time of selling of land, priorities
would be given to sell lands to the local tribals. “If no local tribal comes up
to purchase the land, the general category people can purchase lands," he said.
In yet another far-reaching decision, the Council also decided not to delete
the Kui words from the list of castes. Though Kui is a language,
ethnologically, Kui is synonym of genuine tribe to whom others call Kond,
Khond, Kondh, Kondo, Khondo, Kondho, Kondho Lok, Kandh and Kandha. The
non-tribals speaking Kui also identify themselves as tribal and take the
benefit of the reservations benefits. Agitations cropped up started demanding
taking away the reservation status from the non-tribals.
Keeping the demand in mind, the Council decided to keep the words intact.
“Instead of deleting the words, we have decided to attach the ‘Kui’ word before
Kandha. Hence any one can also be known as Kui- Kandha,” said Sharma, adding
that the Kui words itself would be able to protect the identity of the adivasi
living in Kandhamal, particularly in the Baliguda area. No general caste people
would, hence, be able to take the benefit of tribals.
‘Kandha’ is the largest and territorially widespread tribe in State. Though
their population is uneavenly spread throughout the State, their main
concentration is in southern parts of the State. Kandhas are at various stages
of development. The ‘Kutia Kandha’ of Belghar area and the ‘Dongoria Kandha’ of
Bissamcuttack area represent the primitive sections and the ‘Desia Kandha’
living in the plains of Phulbani district, and other districts represent the
Hindu section of the tribe. In between these two polarities, these are various
sections of the Kandha who are at different stages of socio-economic
development. The Kandha of Baliguda sub-division speaks the Kui-language. The
Council also approved the administrative report of the 2006-07. It would be
sent to the Governor’s assent.
