Mumbai: Did you know that anything found more than three feet below the land you own belongs to the government? What’s more, if it turns out to be an oil reserve or gold deposit, the land will be taken over by the government. Drawing attention to what he termed as archaic laws framed by occupiers, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has urged the State government to change British laws governing land ownership.
Speaking at the Magnetic Maharashtra summit, he said, “Many may not be aware that laws governing land don’t allow the owner to the ownership of anything more than three feet below the surface. So even if someone finds a gold mine or oil reserve, it can’t be exploited commercially. The law prohibits it and the government will take over the land. It will be the sole beneficiary. What type of law is this?”
He added, “These are old [laws] created during the British Raj by the occupiers. They have framed the laws for their own benefit to deprive landowners. These archaic laws must go. What I get from my land belongs to me. Please pass a law granting the sole rights to the landowner, and it will be an election-winning law.”
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Seated next to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Sadhguru said these archaic laws inhibit farmers from planting trees, thus depriving them of additional income from the wood. “India imports timber worth billions of dollars. We’re unable to grow trees as one is not allowed to cut it. Nobody will plant trees if they can’t use them commercially. The law must change.” he said, while criticising environmental activists for ‘interfering in such matters’.
He said State governments must draw up comprehensive plans to prevent further migration of youth from rural areas. “Those who could, have migrated to cities and even abroad. The rest should be encouraged to stay back. For this, , facilities and road connectivity must improve. The old will not migrate, but the youth shouldn’t migrate.”
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The Sadguru, a Tamil Nadu native, said, “After you succeed, you must share the templates of the trillion-dollar economy formula with other States, mainly with southern States, for balanced development and to prevent massive migration from other parts of the country to a trillion-dollar economy. In five years, the population in your State will double and create problems.”