Govt to take measures to protect interest of tribals: CM

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren today said his government would take measures to protect the interest of the tribal community, who were deprived of benefits of forest and mineral resources in their own land.
The problems of the tribal community was similar to those faced by the Red Indian community in US, Soren said while addressing the 6th International Santal Conference organised by the International Santal Council here.
The US government had initiated steps and generated fund to save the Red Indian community, which was on the verge of extinction, Soren said assuring the Santal community that Jharkhand Government would come up with measures that would not only protect their lands but also help them to mortgage it in lieu of loan for business, education.

Referring the century-old Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) and Santal Paragana Tenancy Act (SPT) that ensure protection of the tribal land, the Chief Minister said the Red Indian had also a similar law there but unfortunately, could not develop.
Such law sometimes proved bane for the community as the land was neither transferable nor can be mortgaged to avail loan like the law in the US, he lamented.
The CNT and the SPT formulated for the interest of the tribal community over a century ago was being misinterpreted and was being applied on the people of the community, depriving them of its benefit, Soren said.

"I am not an expert on the issue but trying to understand it to provide benefit to the people of the community," the CM said assuring that he was working hard and would come out with a solution by November 15, when the state would observe its 14th foundation day.