Bhopal, Aug 4 (IANS) The sixth day of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly’s Monsoon Session witnessed heated exchanges over tribal land rights, forest lease cancellations, and welfare allocations, as the Opposition accused the BJP-led government of undermining tribal interests.

Meanwhile, the state government asserted that it had distributed a record 26,500 forest rights leases to tribal beneficiaries.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav responded by stating that his government had launched the “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan”, under which a one-time grant of Rs 2 lakh is provided to construct houses for tribal families in designated areas.

“We are ready to discuss any issue concerning tribal welfare, irrespective of party politics. We have banned DJs (disc jockeys) so that tribal communities can revive their traditional musical instruments. Following this, in certain areas, tribal communities have discontinued the use of DJs at marriage functions and now use traditional instruments instead,” he said.

He further assured, “No tribal will be displaced during the monsoon,” adding that satellite imagery from December 2005 would be used to verify possession and validate lease claims.

He was responding to a question during a call attention motion moved by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar (Congress), who raised alarm over the reported cancellation of over 3.5 lakh forest rights leases, alleging systematic rejection of claims in tribal districts.

Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh echoed the concern, stating that tribal lands were being “forcibly snatched” under the guise of administrative review.

Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency.

“We will assess the 2005 land status using satellite data to ensure rightful claims are honoured,” he said.

Forest Minister Dilip Ahirwar dismissed allegations of mass evictions, stating, “It is absolutely wrong to say that tribal claimants are being rejected. The government is working in their interest.”

The debate intensified when Jhabua MLA Vikrant Bhuria criticised the government’s nutrition spending, revealing that only Rs 8 per child is allocated for malnourished tribal children, while Rs 19,000 worth of dry fruits were ordered for a single ministerial breakfast.

“This is stark discrimination,” Bhuria said, demanding a reallocation of priorities.

Amid the uproar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya tabled the Madhya Pradesh Metropolitan Area Planning and Development Bill, aimed at defining and regulating metropolitan regions around Bhopal and Indore.

Labour Minister Prahlad Singh Patel introduced two key amendments: the Factory Madhya Pradesh Amendment Bill 2025 and the Shop and Establishment Amendment Bill 2025, both focused on labour welfare and regulatory modernisation.

The House is set to consider the Madhya Pradesh Motor Vehicles Taxation Amendment Bill and the Legal Aid and Legal Advice for Weaker Sections of Society Repeal Bill on Tuesday.

As the session progresses, tribal welfare, land rights, and governance equity remain central to the legislative discourse, with Opposition parties vowing to escalate scrutiny in the days ahead.

–IANS

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