Farmers' land will not be given to any corporate: Birender Singh

Claiming that lands acquired by the Centre will be utilised only for development projects, Union Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh has said not an "inch of farmers' land" will be given to any "corporate house".

"Not an inch of farmers' land will be given to any corporate house," Union Minister for Rural Development said yesterday while addressing a public meeting in Rajound village here.

Singh also accused the opposition parties of misleading the agrarian community in the country on the contentious Land Bill.

"The opposition, which was badly defeated in last Lok Sabha polls, is misleading farmers on the issue," Singh said.

Asserting that his maternal grandfather Chhotu Ram always fought for the cause of farmers and downtrodden, he said, "So how can I work against the interest of farmers."

The Union Minister said that crores of youth of the country were looking for employment.

"But they cannot be provided jobs only in agriculture sector which, in any case, was not financially viable any more because of depleting land holdings," he said.

"Only industrialisation of the country is an option to provide jobs and ensure economic uplift ment of the people of all sections of society," Singh added.