In Bhubaneswar, the Chief Executive of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, issued a directive on Wednesday to retract more than 48,000 litigations against individuals belonging to tribal communities, filed under various enactments related to excise, forestry, and government land encroachment.
This action is perceived as a strategic overture to the tribal populace in the region, strategically timed before impending elections.
Of these litigations, the excise department has logged 36,581 cases, the housing and urban development department 9,846 cases, and the forest & environment department 1,591 cases. The withdrawal of these litigations is anticipated to alleviate the burden on the judicial system, as articulated by an anonymous official from the home department.
According to insiders, the excise cases against tribal members largely involve minor infractions, making the withdrawal of these cases a judicious move.
Likewise, transgressions recorded against tribal individuals under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, governing the transportation of forest produce, are slated for retraction. Forest authorities have instituted legal actions against tribal members, invoking pertinent legislations, particularly when they harvest minor forest produce (MFP) for domestic use or vend them in local markets.
