The Maharashtra government is contemplating authorising District Collectors to auction Adivasi land if the owners are willing to sell their land for development purposes.
This was informed by Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil in the Legislative Assembly.
Replying to a discussion during the Question Hour on the sale of 29 Adivasi (tribal) plots to non-adivasis in Chandrapur district, Patil said since the present government came to power, 450 files regarding permission of sale of Adivasi land to non-adivasis have been kept pending.
Collectors are not authorised to permit sale of Adivasi land and only state government can do so, he said.
Patil said the government is mulling over authorising District Collectors to auction the Adivasi land so that the owners can get a good price. As per rule, the developed Adivasi land has to be purchased by an Adivasi only.
Another proposal is that if the Adivasi wants to develop his land, he can divide the land into different plots and sell it only to Adivasis.
He said the government is willing to set up a committee to probe previous sale of Adivasi lands.
Meanwhile, replying to supplementaries to another question on banana growers in Nanded not getting their insurance money back, Agriculture minister Pandurang Phundkar said the government has decided that agriculture; revenue officials will accompany insurance officials to conduct spot panchnamas.
