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Orissa
Task Force to resolve land disputes
By Our Staff Reporter
BHUBANESWAR, DEC. 6. The Orissa Government has constituted a Task Force to keep a close watch on the conflicts between tribals and non- tribals over land disputes in the tribal-dominated districts and resolve such discords at the earliest. Replying to an adjournment motion on the issue in the State Assembly today, the Revenue Minister, Mr. Biswabhushan Harichandan, said that the BJD-BJP coalition Government had initiated a series of measures to solve land dispute cases in the tribal-dominated pockets to ensure peace and development in those areas.
The Task Force, headed by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Southern), has the District Collectors, Superintendents of Police, and Divisional Forest Officers of Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nawrangpur, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts as its members.
The Task Force has initiated steps to identify the sensitive areas and areas where tension was building up between tribals and non-tribals. The Task Force had found that apart from disputes over possession of land, other factors also contributed towards the differences between tribals and non-tribals, Mr. Harichandan said.
The Government's initiative has come in the aftermath of frequent clashes between Bengali settlers and tribals in Malkangiri and Nawrangpur districts, and between tribals and non- tribals in other districts. Referring to the recent clashes between the Bengali settlers and tribals in Raighar block of Nawrangpur in which five persons had been killed in police firing, Mr. Harichandan said that all steps were being taken to prevent such incidents in the future. A judicial probe has been ordered into the two incidents in Raighar.
As many as 10 teams of Government officials were visiting the interior villages in Raighar area to know the grievances of the people, Mr. Harichandan said. The District Collector and Superintendent of Police, Nawrangpur are also meeting the people at the Gram Panchayat level and taking on-the- spot decisions to resolve various disputes, he added.
While adequate number of police personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain peace, 130 illegal Bangladeshi migrants had been identified in the Raighar block, Mr. Harichandan said. Measures were being taken to deport the illegal migrants, he added. As many as 60 cases had been registered in Raighar and 109 persons, including 44 Bengali settlers, 41 tribals and 24 belonging to other sections, have been arrested in connection with the clashes that took place on October 30 and November 11. The Minister informed that necessary orders had been issued to the District Collectors in the KBK districts to resolve the land dispute cases in those districts and restore to the tribals their land that had been encroached by others.
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