The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has instructed the District Magistrate of Raigarh in Chhattisgarh to provide the current status of action taken against the indulging officers and employees found accused in the illegal land transfer cases. The instruction was given in a meeting held under the Chairmanship of Shri Nand Kumar Sai, Chairman, NCST New Delhi. The Commission has also asked to return the land taken against rules to the original owners and speedy disposal of cases under sections 170(1&2) of Chhattisgarh land revenue manual.
The same has to be intimated to the Commission immediately. It was also instructed that information should also be furnished about the actual payment made to the real land owners in such cases wherein land transfer was done after the permission of District Magistrate. Commission has also directed to cancel such nominations in cases where DM’s permission was not accorded. The same should also be returned back in revenue records. Action should also be taken to identify the Benami purchase of land.
The Commission directed the Senior Superintendent Police of the District to enquire into the circumstances of the death of Jailal Rathiya on the basis of available evidences and also whom he met before the death and the people he visited. Enquiry should also be done about the threat given to him. Commission asked the police to enquire into his mobile calls details and persons accompanying him.
The Commission directed officers to take action under SC and ST (Eradication of Atrocities) Act 1989 in cases wherein the land of ST persons were transferred in the name of persons of other community by forgery and its information should be sent to the Commission.
The Commission gave necessary directions to DRM Bilaspur to provide detailed information regarding cases of land acquisition/ purchase- sale from persons of ST community for Railways siding. It may be noted that Jailal Raithiya who brought into light the 300 acre land dispute in the Kunkuni village of Raigarh District died suddenly on March 17, 2017 under mysterious circumstances. As per media reports the deceased tribal activist leader had opened front against land mafia. It was alleged that his body was cremated without carrying out postmortem.
