J’khand adopts Odisha model on tribal land purchase rights

RANCHI: The Jharkhand cabinet on Thursday approved the revenue and land reforms department’s proposal to adopt the Odisha model, prohibiting tribal women married to nontribals from buying tenancy land in the state.

Giving this information, revenue and land reforms secretary KK Soan said that the government would restore such tenancy lands that were already sold. This restoration would be done as per the provisions of Section 71-A of the Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act of 1908 and Section 20 of the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act of 1949. “The regulation will come into force following the governor’s approval,” said Soan, clarifying that this was not new legislation that would require the President’s nod.

The secretary pointed out that a tribal woman could purchase any land that was not tenancy land i.e. not governed by CNT/SPT Acts. The legal provisions, he said, were aimed at stopping land sales and purchases benefiting non-tribals married to tribal women.

DECISION ON SALE OF LIQUOR

The state cabinet also put its seal on the government’s decision to move out of selling liquor and reverting to the auction route. Liquor sale rights would be given to private parties, by modifying the auction platform from manual auction to e-lottery. Cabinet secretary SKG Rahate said that the government had roped in NEML for the e-lottery.

The Jharkhand government had, on a pilot basis, started selling liquor from August 1, 2017, through select outlets in the districts. But this led to revenue losses, and the government decided to restore the previous system through e-lottery, said Rahate.