Will amend PTCL, protect SC-ST interests, says CM Siddu

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that the State government would amend the Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands (PTCL) Act and would begin the process in the current session.

The law was enacted to prohibit the grabbing of the land granted to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). He made the remarks in a meeting on the amendment, which saw participation from civil society members, ministers, senior officers and legal experts.

“The Government’s commitment to protect the interests of the Dalits’ rights to own land, has been reiterated in the Budget presented recently. This meeting is convened to gather opinion of the community leaders and the Government intends to bring this amendment in the present legislature session itself,” Siddaramaiah said.

“There should be no repeated litigation and the intention of the PTCL act should be effectively fulfilled. Those who lost land should not experience debacle in courts. Therefore, the opinions of Dalit leaders and lawyers have been sought. Will take legal experts' opinion too,” he added.