Speaker Adjourns Odisha Assembly Following Pandemonium Over Tribals’ Land Transfer Issue

Bhubaneswar: Pandemonium continued to mar the winter session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly for the second consecutive day over the State Government’s move to allow the transfer of tribals’ land to non-tribals.

Speaker of the Assembly, Pramila Mallik adjourned the House till 4 pm following a ruckus by Opposition members. From the start of the day, BJP legislators rushed to the Well of the House holding banners and shouted slogans.

Mohan Majhi, Opposition Chief Whip and BJP MLA told reporters, “Yesterday, we had moved a motion demanding cancellation of all legislative business for holding special discussion over the issue, which was rejected by the Speaker. We demand the Chief Minister to declare withdrawal of the decision regarding the land transfer rule that allows tribals to transfer their land. The BJP will continue to corner the government till the decision regarding it is not revoked completely by the Odisha government.”

In the recent past, the Odisha Cabinet had approved amendments to some provisions of Regulation-2 of the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property Amendment Regulation to allow the transfer and mortgage of land belonging to scheduled tribes (STs). The State government later withheld the decision.