YSRC to oppose Land Acquisition Bill in LS

The YSR Congress has decided to oppose the Land Acquisition Bill in Parliament stating that it is against the interests of farmers.

The decision was taken at the YSRC Parliamentary Party meeting held here on Sunday under the chairmanship of party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy. Six out of eight party MPs from A.P. participated in the meeting.

Speaking after the meeting, party leader in Lok Sabha Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy said they were against the amendment bill since it had provisions against the interests of the farming community. He, however, said the party would support the bill if the Centre came forward to exclude the provisions of bill including social impact assessment and acquisition of multi-crop and irrigated lands.

“We will oppose it in the present form in Lok Sabha and strive for changes in favour of farmers,” Mr. Rajamohan Reddy said adding that they had no representation in Rajya Sabha. The meeting had also decided that the MPs would continue their struggle for granting special status to Andhra Pradesh, as assured to Parliament while the A.P. Reorganisation Bill was passed in February last year.

Mr. Rajamohan Reddy said giving special category State status to A.P. was possible if the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress came together as they did while passing the reorganisation bill.

The lone MP from Telangana, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said he would raise the injustice done to Telangana in the bifurcation and in the recent budget. He would strive for allocation of adequate funds for Pranahita-Chevella project and division of the High Court at the earliest.