Bhubaneswar, Jan 09: Worried over frequent clashes between tribals and non-tribals due to land dispute, the Orissa government has completely banned transfer of tribal land to non-tribals. The law has been amended so that no tribal can transfer his land to a non-tribal and the offence has been made cognisable, revenue and law minister Biswabhushan Harichandan told reporters here today. The government has decided that a detailed inquiry would be made into all cases of tribal land transferred from October four, 1956 onwards to detect 'benami' and fraudulent cases, he said. The Orissa scheduled areas transfer of immovable property (by scheduled tribes) amendment regulation, which was passed by the state assembly in 2000, was accorded presidential assent in august last, he said adding the gazette notification in this connection had been issued on September four last.


Harichandan said the law had been made stringent to discourage any fraudulent transfer of tribal land and the punishment for the offence, now made cognisable, would include rigorous imprisonment for two years and fine upto Rs 5,000.
A repetition of the offence would attract three years' rigorous imprisonment and fine upto Rs 10,000, he said.

Bureau Report