File photo of UP Governor Ram Naik File photo of UP Governor Ram Naik

Dalits in Uttar Pradesh will now be able to sell their land to non-Dalits with Governor Ram Naik Tuesday giving assent to an ordinance which seeks to amend the original pre-British era revenue law.

Naik approved the UP Revenue Code (Amendment) Ordinance 2015, a Raj Bhawan spokesman said here. The state government had sent the ordinance to the Governor for his approval for the amendment in the UP Revenue Code 2006.

“The decision has been taken after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav informed the Governor in writing that the winter session of the state Assembly would be delayed and is likely to take place in the last week of January 2016. Thus, seeing the urgency of the matter clearance has been given to it,” an official spokesperson of the Raj Bhavan said.

The Revenue Code (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 aims to modify land reforms by repealing 31 land-related rules, regulations and Acts. It will also allow Dalits to sell their land to non-Dalits even if they have less than 3.5 acres left with them.

The government was likely to introduce the amendments as a bill in the winter session of the state Assembly. Since the winter session is usually called by mid of December, Governor had reportedly asked the government about the urgency in bringing the ordinance.

The amendment drew instant flak from Opposition BSP, which accused the ruling SP of robbing poor Dalits of whatever land holding they have. The ruling Samajwadi Party, however, termed it as a landmark move as it would save Dalits from “distress selling” of their land.

With assembly elections just about a year away, the BSP is planning to make it a big issue to appeal to its core voters. BSP leaders have already started calling the amendment a “conspiracy to weaken and further marginalise Dalits”.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Swami Prasad Maurya strongly opposed the amendment. BSP leaders allege that the ordinance is based on the report of just one committee headed by additional advocate general R B Yadav without doing any ground survey. “No ground-level survey was done to ascertain whether Dalits were actually indulging in distress sale or it is an artificial situation created with political interests,” one of the leaders claimed.

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