Land Acquisition Bill anti-farmer, pro-corporate: Jamaat

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind today strongly opposed the BJP government's proposed amendments in the Land Acquisition Act 2013, saying that the new bill "undermines" the rights of farmers and give more benefits to corporates.
"In the proposed bill, the rights of farmers and land owners have been undermined, to give more benefits to corporates in the name of development," said top leaders of Jamaat in a statement adding that the existing law made by the Congress-led UPA government isn't pro-farmer either.
However, the new bill, they said, will bring more harm to the farmers. "The NDA Government has gone far ahead of the land acquisition Act 2013 of the UPA Government, though it was already pro-corporate and against the interests of farmers and land owners," the statement said.

Jamaat demanded that the clause of prior consent of land owners and Social Impact Assessment should be made mandatory and in addition to it the proper compensation at market rate to land owners must be paid.
Addressing a press conference, Nusrat Ali, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind also said the first full budget of Modi government has "failed to enthuse common people of the country as the government has not introduced any steps to check the rising inflation. Conversely, it has increased service taxes, and earlier through the Rail Budget, freight charges --both will further push price hike and inflation."

Ali, who was accompanied by national secretaries of the Jamaat including Mohammad Salim Engineer, Ejaz Ahmed Aslam and Mohammad Ahmed, criticized the government for slashing the budgetary provisions for the social sector.

Also, they were of the view that the budget lacks innovation for inclusive growth for which Modi and BJP had coined the slogan 'Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas'. The allocation of Rs 3,738 crore for the Minority Affairs ministry is not enough as the government has added just Rs 4 crore to the previous year's allocation for the ministry.
On the continuous hate campaign by some saffron outfits and leaders of the ruling BJP, Jamaat demanded the government to take action against them.

"It is very unfortunate that the spate of provocative statements started with the coming to power of BJP government at the centre continues unabated. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind condemns in strongest terms all such hate-filled provocative statements and activities which hurt the religious sentiments or promote an atmosphere of hatred in the country".