JMM to meet Pranab Mukherjee over land ordinance

Ranchi, August 1: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief and parliamentarian Shibu Soren will meet President Pranab Mukherjee early next month and demanded the rollback of state government's ordinance seeking amendments to the Santhal Pargana (SPT) and Chotanagpur (CNT) Tenancy Acts.

The party on Sunday said Soren and his son Hemant (leader of opposition in Jharkhand Assembly) will lead all its 19 MLAs to Mukherjee on August 2 and request the latter to overrule Jharkhand government's ordinance keeping in mind the safety and rights of tribal families.

The President's office is learnt to have granted audience in the afternoon.

JMM had brought the seven-day monsoon session to a halt last week over its demand of rolling back the ordinance, which if passed as bill, will enable tribal landowners to divert their land for business purposes (other than residential and farming).

The ordinance was sent for President's approval on the first week of July.

"Guruji and all the MLAs will meet the President and request him to abstain from signing the ordinance. The amendments will affect tribal farmers and families directly.

The gravity of the situation will be explained to him," JMM central committee member Vinod Pandey said.

PTI