Ranchi, February 27 BJP MLA Devendra Kunwar on Friday demanded a high-level investigation into the alleged illegal transfer of land in the Santhal Pargana region of Jharkhand.
The legislator alleged that Bangladeshi infiltrators were illegally acquiring tribal land in the region in violation of the Santhal Parganas Tenancy (SPT) Act, 1949.
"After Sahibganj and Pakur districts in Santhal Pargana, Bangladeshi infiltrators are now entering the Dumka district, which is a matter of serious concern," Kunwar said.
In response, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Deepak Birua said that Section 42 of the SPT Act provides for the eviction of any illegal possessor or encroacher from the transferred land and the restoration of the land to the original owner.
"Strict compliance with the above-mentioned sections is being enforced in all districts under Santhal Pargana," the minister said.
Birua urged the legislator to provide specific cases of illegal land transfer and assured him that action would be taken against encroachers.
The Act is designed to protect tribal land rights by prohibiting or restricting the transfer of land to non-tribals in the Santhal Pargana region.
The House witnessed uproar after CPI(ML) Liberation MLA Arup Chatterjee demanded that Health Minister Irfan Ansari present a report on the investigation into five children who tested positive for HIV after blood transfusion in Chaibasa.
Responding to Chatterjee, Ansari said that the investigation is underway and the report will soon be released.
BJP MLAs alleged that the government was not taking the issue seriously, leading to uproar in the House.
"Six months have passed but the investigation is still incomplete. I demand that the report be presented in the House during the ongoing session," Chatterjee said.
