Bhubaneswar: The State Cabinet today approved a proposal to amend the Scheduled Tribes Regulation Act to facilitate the transfer of Scheduled Tribes (ST) land to any person not belonging to the ST category.
Based on the recommendations of the Scheduled Tribes Advisory Council, the Cabinet approved some amendments to the Act.
Accordingly, a Scheduled Tribe person may, with the written permission of the Sub-Collector, make his land a gift or exchange it for public purposes or obtain a loan by mortgaging in a public financial institution for agriculture, construction of residential house, higher studies of children, self-employment, business or establishment of small scale industries. An ST person can also transfer the same in favour of a person not belonging to a Scheduled Tribe for the purpose.
But, after such a transfer, he should not be landless or homesteadless. If the sub-collector does not grant permission, then the person can appeal to the Collector within six months, whose decision will be final.
According to the existing law, an ST person can transfer his immovable property only to a person belonging to the same category. A person belonging Scheduled Tribe in a Scheduled Area can mortgage his land to any public financial institution for agricultural purposes only.
