Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Odisha Cabinet decided to amend a law that allows scheduled tribe people (ST) in scheduled areas to transfer their land to non-tribals with written permission from the sub-collector. The Cabinet approved the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (by STs) Regulation, 1956 for this purpose.
“Now, a ST person can gift, exchange for public purposes or obtain a loan by mortgaging a plot of land in a public financial institution for agriculture, construction of residential house, higher studies of children, self-employment, business or establishment of small-scale industries or transfer it in favour of a person not belonging to ST community for these purposes,” PK Jena, the chief secretary, said after the cabinet meeting.
The most recent amendment to this act was made in 2002, after which a person belonging to the ST category could only transfer his or her immovable property to another member of the ST community, while he or she could mortgage his or her land to any public financial institution for agricultural purposes only. If the sub-collector does not grant permission to transfer, sell, or mortgage such land, the person has six months to appeal to the respective district collector, whose decision is final in this regard.
