Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly was adjourned till tomorrow following heavy pandemonium by opposition BJP and Congress members over the government’s decision to allow scheduled tribe (ST) people to sell their land to non-tribals.
As soon as the members assembled for the Question Hour, the agitating BJP and Congress MLAs trooped into the well of the House and shouted slogans demanding immediate withdrawal of the decision. Unable to run the House, Speaker Pramila Mallik adjourned the House first till 12.00 noon and again till 4.00 pm following the ruckus.
A similar noise scene was also witnessed when the House reassembled after 4 pm. The Speaker adjourned it till tomorrow.
The Odisha cabinet on November 14 had decided to amend the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (by STs) Regulation, 1956 to allow the ST people to transfer their land to non-tribals in scheduled areas with written permission from the sub-collector. However, two days later, the government withheld the decision.
The Opposition members termed the government’s move as anti-tribal. The treasury bench, however, rubbished the allegations.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi claimed that by Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has all along worked for the welfare of tribals.
The recent Cabinet decision over tribal land transfer has been withheld as per the direction of the chief minister, Marndi said. The Opposition parties are playing cheap politics over the issue and disrupting Assembly business.
