Centre making absurd claims about land bill: AIKMS

Accusing the NDA Government of resuscitating anti-farmer British-era land acquisition Act through its Ordinance, a farmers' body today demanded its withdrawal while alleging that the Centre was making "absurd claims" to promote its land bill amongst farmers.
The Land Acquisition Ordinance was re-promulgated on April 3.
"We demand the Centre to withdraw the Ordinance. We want the Government to take back changes proposed to the 2013 act. This is because the UPA Government had come up with the act following pressure exerted by widespread agitations against the British-era act.
"The BJP Government is now resurrecting the British-era act by executing the Ordinance. Hence, we are going to protest against it," Ashish Mital, secretary of the AIKMS central executive committee, said.

Mital, referring to a CAG report, claimed Government is trying to help corporates acquire land for industrialisation at a time when two third of the existing industries have become defunct. He further claimed that 63 per cent of the land acquired for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) are "lying unused.
"Production capacity of about 1 lakh mega watt of thermal power plants remains unused.

"Yet, instead of focusing to improve the agrarian conditions and increasing food security, the Government is busy helping corporates grow. The Government policy is to attract dollar investments by cheating 70 per cent of hard working rural population," Mital said.

He targeted the Centre for making "absurd claims" while promoting the Ordinance amongst farmers.
"The BJP slogan campaign is absurd. After sensing the anger amongst farmers to the changes made to the 2013 Act, it has started saying the Ordinance is pro-farmer.
"That Ordinance will help build canals, provide housing to people...Constructing canals, building homes for farmers will require only 10 to 12 per cent of land the Government plans to acquire. You don't need to displace villagers," he said.
The farmers' body announced to hold protest at Jantar Mantar on April 24 to register its dissent.