RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Jan.30: The ruling JMM has expressed concern over the Raj Bhawan move to return the bill defining locals on the basis of a 1932 land record survey in Jharkhand.
Addressing a press conference, senior JMM leader Supriyo Bhattacharya said apparently Governor Ramesh Bias has not not read Article 31(b) of the Constitution which empowers the state legislative assembly to pass any bill and send it to Parliament for consideration in its inclusion in Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Bhattacharya said that the party is in favour of sending the bill again after proper review as it is in the interest of local people. He said that the party has also planned exposing the BJP on the issue as the party neither openly supported the land record -based local identity nor opposed it.
The party leader expressing his concern over the step of the governor said that the latter is not only the representative of the Centre but also the representative of the President of India, who is protector of the Constitution. Apart from this, he said, the governor is also patron of the state assembly and has special power to protect tribal interest in the Fifth Schedule area.
Asked whether Khatiyan Yatra will continue after the development, he said ‘there is no question of stopping the Kahtiyan Yatra.’
