Bhubaneswar: The protest against Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government over a controversial regulation allowing transfer of tribal land to non-tribals intensified in Odisha.

The opposition parties launched protests to mount pressure on the government to immediately withdraw the cabinet decision on the Amendment of Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property Scheduled Tribe Regulation, 1956.

Condemning the state cabinet's decision, a delegation of BJP legislators including met Governor Raghubar Das and submitted a memorandum urging him to safeguard the interest of tribal people in the state.

The opposition members alleged that the state cabinet approved the transfer of immovable properties of tribal people to non-tribal people in scheduled area quoting the decision as recommended by the Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) of Odisha.

"In the last meeting of the TAC which was held on July 11, 2023, it had demanded relaxation for scheduled tribes to obtain bank loans for agriculture, construction of residential house and higher studies of children. But the government has approved transfer of immovable property of scheduled tribe to other than scheduled tribe in scheduled area which was not decided in the TAC meeting 2023 unanimously," the memorandum read.

Raising doubt on the government's intention, the BJP legislators opposed the cabinet's decision, which they term as 'anti-tribal'.