Tribals in Jharkhand accuse Namkum CO of illegal land transfer

RANCHI: On a day when the tribal community celebrated the martyrdom of Birsa Munda, five families belonging to the tribal community gathered at Birsa Munda Memorial park near Jail More to protest against the illegal transfer of their land by Namkum circle officer Vinod Prajapati to wrongful beneficiaries in connivance with land mafias.
The families, accompanied by the members of Jharkhand Aadivasi Vikas Samiti (JAVS), accused Prajapati of transferring the land owned by a ‘pahan’ (priest of tribals) family to the members of Ekka family.
Sukhram Kachhap Pahan of Sithiyo under Namkum block told TOI said: “Prajapati transferred 5 acres 58 dismil of my ancestral land to one Prem Ekka and Francis Ekka after receiving a heavy amount as bribe from them. They have done it by declaring that my grandfather didn’t have any heir and forged documents for doing the same. We tried to meet the CO four times, but in vain. A circle officer cannot transfer ‘Khuntkatti’ land to anyone other than a ‘pahan’.”
Jharkhand Aadivasi Vikas Samiti president Prabhakar Nag said several officials have resorted to similar practices at their respective offices for money.”
Another victim from Itki said his three-acre plot was transferred by the circle officer to a non-tribal, who has started construction. “How can an official transfer a land belonging to a tribal to a non-tribal person?,” asked Nag. The protest was attended by descendants of Majhia Munda, a close associate of Birsa Munda.
Rejecting the allegations, Prajapati said, “Any ‘khuntkatti’ land belonging to a pahan family cannot be transferred to a member of a non-paham family and I haven't done any such thing. I will have to check the details of this specific case and will call them for redressal of their issues.”