Chandragiri: A tribal outfit has demanded eviction of Tibetan settlers in Gajapati’s Chandragiri area. Odisha Adivasi Mancha’s secretary Dandapani Rait said the government must return leased lands in the settlement area to landless tribals.
Sources said the Tibetan refugees have been settled in five panchayats of Mohana and R Udayagiri tehsil in the district for the last sixty years. Moreover, the lands come under forest area category.
According to Forest Right Act 2006 the government should provide legal land pattas (records of rights) to recognise and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land in forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in such forests for generations but whose rights could not be recorded.
As per the aggrieved landless tribals, it is an irony that government is not providing any support to them to take over the land for which patta was not provided to them, while the Tibetan settlers continue to hold illegal possession on forest lands in the area.
According to the rule, the administration in every five year must renew the lease and registration of the lands given to the Tibetans.
Before giving the lands to the settlers, the administration has to conduct a review meeting with the locals. But it is alleged that the administration has given a long term land lease to the Tibetan refugees without consulting the locals.
As per the sources the tenure of lands with the Tibetan refugees got expired in 2018. After that, following the good equation with the Tibetans, the district administration has extended the tenure of the lease for undeclared years, sources added.
However, a notice was released by the tehsildar declaring the terms and conditions of the lease to the refugees but it was alleged that the notice was superficial in nature.
Dissatisfied with the decision of district administration, the local tribal population visited Chandragiri Revenue office to get the complete information about the notice, but all in vain.
The notification says that the scheduled land will be leased out to the Tibetans refugees on a long term basis.
Under Rehabilitation policy for Tibetans 2014, the refugees have been provided lands under lease till 2018.
For further renewal of the lease from 2018 to 2022, an agreement was signed in between Gajapati tehsildar and Central Tibetan Relief Committee representative Chonner Sam Dup.
According to the agreement if anyone has any complain regarding it (agreement) then they may approach the Mohana Tehsildar Office but within a time schedule.
But the officials refused to receive any complaint even within the scheduled time period from the tribals, it is alleged.
Sources said that the district revenue department provided 705 pattas to the tribals for the forest lands two years ago but till now they have not been able to take possession of the land.
The Adivasi Mancha has demanded the state revenue department to intervene in the matter and warned of agitation if the government extends the lease to the Tibetan refugees.