Demanding that the Andhra Pradesh government acquire lands for capital under provisions of Land Acquisition Act-2013, CPI (M) Polit Bureau member and MP Sitaram Yechury has said the land pooling system under which the government plans to acquire lands for construction of a capital region has no constitutional validity.
The Land Acquisition Act-2013 has sufficient safeguards put in place to protect the interests of the farmers, including a condition that lands should be acquired only if more than 80 per cent of farmers give their consent. “Mass social movements supported by left parties had forced the Centre to amend the archaic Land Acquisition Act-1894 and incorporate several features to safeguard farmers.
"We will not sit and watch if the Narendra Modi government tweaks the act and amend it to suit the interests of corporate groups,’’ Mr. Sitaram said at a media conference here on Friday.
Mr. Sitaram was in the city to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of the CPI (M).
