Alleging that the Land Ceiling Act enacted in Tamil Nadu in 1981 remained on paper in many parts of the State, CPI State secretary D. Pandian said on Tuesday that his party would enter the lands along with the intended beneficiaries of the Act and settle them there.
“Come what may, we are ready to face it,” Mr. Pandian told reporters, explaining the decision taken at the two-day State council meeting of the party at Pudukottai on August 1 and 2.
He said the party had collected details about the land allocation under the Right to Information Act. It launched the movement at Dharapuram in Tirupur district on Sunday by settling four beneficiaries on seven acres.
“But, police officers wanted a week's time to consult the issue with the district administration and settle the issue amicably. We have given them five days,” he said, adding that the programme could be successfully implemented only if the beneficiaries cooperated with the party.
He pointed out that though lands were allotted to landless farmers across the State in 1982 itself, the beneficiaries could cultivate them only in erstwhile unified Thanjavur district, where the Left movement was strong.
Explaining the practical difficulties in helping the farmers settle on the land allotted to them, Mr. Pandian said many beneficiaries, fearing attack from the original owners, were not able to enter the land.
Mr. Pandian said his party would also settle homeless poor on government land and agricultural land remaining unutilised for years together.
He urged the government to complete the task of providing concrete houses to 21 lakh people as quickly as possible instead of fixing a seven-years period.
Asked about his efforts to meet actor Vijayakant to rope in the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) to build a strong front against the DMK-Congress combine, he said all parties that were not part of a BJP-led or a Congress-led alliance would be welcome to join hands with the Left parties.
