Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the Aam Aadmi Party will fight for land ownership rights and higher compensation under Section 74(4) of the Delhi Land Reforms (DLR) Act. Mr. Kejriwal was addressing a mahapanchayat organised by the party in Tehsil Ground at Bawana before the upcoming by-elections scheduled for August 23.
Scores of people from 26 villages in the constituency gathered wearing the party’s trademark white aam aadmi caps to hear him speak. Supporters shouted slogans of “ Arvind tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hai [Arvind you continue your struggle, we are with you]” and “Kejriwal zindabad ”, while patriotic songs played in the background.
‘File with Centre’
“I will fight till my last breath for the people of Delhi. We are working with dedication and fervour, keeping in mind the love and respect the people gave us two years ago,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
Along with Mr. Kejriwal, senior leaders such as AAP’s Delhi convenor Gopal Rai, Cabinet Minister Kailash Gahlot, party candidate from Bawana, Ramchandra were also present at the gathering.
Mr. Kejriwal said that Delhi is the only place left where the poor families, which were allotted small parcels of gram sabha land in the 1970s and 1980s, are yet to receive ownership rights to their land. “We have been trying to get ownership rights to these farmer families for the last two years. We have cleared and sent the file to the Centre and it’s lying with Union Minister Rajnath Singh,” he said.
Rural areas
“Politicians from the BJP and the Congress think Delhi only comprises Greater Kailash and Vasant Kunj... but we believe that unless we develop the rural areas, the city will not be developed,” he said.
Under Section 74(4) of the DLR Act, once a person is admitted as an asami (sub-tenure holder) who cultivated the land for five years, it is the duty of the gram sabha to report to the revenue assistant the extent to which the land had been reclaimed. The revenue assistant would then carry out a hearing and either order termination of lease or extend it by another two years.
