Guj Congress requests Governor not to sign new land Bill

Terming as "anti-farmer" the proposed amendments in the Gujarat Agricultural Land Ceiling (Amendment) Bill-2015, Congress leaders today met state Governor O P Kohli and urged him not to clear the Bill that was recently passed in the Assembly.
A Congress delegation, led by Leader of Opposition in Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela, met Kohli at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar today and requested him not to sign the Bill in the interest of poor and backward class, a press release issued by the party said.
In the memorandum presented to the Governor, the Congress leaders claimed that the BJP-led Gujarat government has "corrupt and greedy" intentions behind amending the original Act that was enacted in 1960.

"The Land Ceiling Act of 1960 was created to put control on individual land holding beyond a certain limit. Further, it has a provision of acquiring the surplus agricultural land from big farmers and give it to landless farmers, Dalits, tribals and farm labourers for their upliftment," stated the memorandum.
Congress alleged that the BJP-led Government amended certain provisions to favour industrialists.
"Now, Gujarat government is eyeing this surplus land with corrupt and greedy intentions, which is why this amendment bill is brought and passed in the Assembly. It will allow the government to give such land to industrialists and rich people, instead of eligible classes," the memorandum said.

During the monsoon session of Gujarat Assembly held in August this year, the state Government passed this Bill to amend present Act in the state to facilitate industries as well as civic bodies to acquire and use the surplus agricultural land. This was prohibited in the original Act.
Through the amendments, the government enabled itself to allot this surplus land to industries as well as civic bodies.
"It is a conspiracy by the government to allot such land, meant for poor, worth billions of rupees to some industrialists," the Congress leaders said.