Kaptipada: Thousands of poor and landless tribals have allegedly been deprived of land pattas of their dwellings in Kaptipada area of Mayurbhanj district. As a result, they fail to draw benefits of various government schemes and programmes.
Upset over the official apathy, hundreds of tribals from several villages staged an agitation in front of the revenue inspector’s office Thursday.
They alleged they had applied for pattas (record of rights) of their homestead land along ago, but to no avail.
“We are exhausted from frequenting the tehsil office. The officials are demanding bribe from us,” the protesters fumed. Hundreds of people from Parasbana, Khadikhania and Mankadapada gheraoed the RI office at Shalachua and locked its gate.
Additional tehsildar Kartik Chandra Das rushed to the spot and assured the agitators of fast-tracking the distribution of pattas. The state government has decided to provide 4 decimal of land each to landless tribal people.
The agitators said the officials are adopting a dillydallying approach while implementing the government project. In the absence of residential proof, the beneficiaries have failed to avail benefits of various government programmes.
“We a poor, but do not get housing units under Indira Awas Yojana or Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana. Besides, our children face problems in availing scholarships, stipend and jobs.
When we do have land pattas, how can we get these benefits,” the agitators lamented.
Denying land pattas to tribals is tantamount to violation of comprehensive guidelines of the state government issued July 12, 2012 for better implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
The Act seeks to recognise and vest forest rights for people belonging to scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in forests for generations but whose rights could not be recorded. PNN
