TNI Bureau: After facing massive protest from the opposition parties, the Odisha government today decided to send the controversial Tribal Land Transfer decision to the Tribal Advisory Council.

This was decided during a meeting of the state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Lok Seva Bhawan. Two other proposals also got the Cabinet approval.

Informing about the decision in the Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Niranjan Pujari said that the Cabinet approved several key proposals today including the decision to send the amendment of the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immoveable Property (By Scheduled Tribes) Regulation, 1956, to the Tribal Advisory Council for further review and necessary changes.

The State Cabinet during its meeting on November 14 had approved an amendment to allow tribals to transfer their immovable properties to non-tribals with a written order from the sub-collector. Besides, it permitted the tribals to mortgage land with public financial institutions for purposes other than agriculture.

However, after facing stiff protest from the BJP and Congress, the State government put its decision in this regard on hold on November 17.

Moreover, the opposition parties also disrupted the proceedings of the House over the issue on November 22 and 23 soon after the beginning of the Winter Session of the State Assembly.

It is to be noted here that the Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) is a statutory body established under sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph-4 of the Fifth Schedule [Article 244(I)] to the Constitution of India which mandates States having Scheduled Areas therein, to have a TAC consisting of not more than twenty members of whom, nearly as may be three-fourths shall be representatives of Scheduled Tribes in the State Legislative Assembly.

TAC through its meetings & consultation advises on such matters pertaining to the welfare and advancement of the Scheduled Tribes in the State as may be referred to them by the Governor.