Freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy has stressed on the need to launch a people’s movement against the Union government’s move to pass the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, popularly called the Land Acquisition Bill.
He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on the Land Acquisition Bill held under the aegis of Vicharavadi Vedike, Karnataka (VIVEKA) forum here on Sunday.
A joint parliamentary committee, comprising members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha for which the Bill has been referred to has invited suggestions from the public on the Bill. The debate on the Bill should not take place at a superficial level, instead it should be held at the village-level and even the small and marginal farmers should take part in it, he said.
The National Democratic Alliance Government in the Centre had tried to pass the Bill in an undemocratic manner. The proposed Bill intends to relax the requirement of consent and social impact assessment survey for acquiring land for the projects in defence, rural infrastructure, affordable housing, industrial corridors and social infrastructure sectors. He alleged that the Bill would favour the corporates and was against the interests of small and marginal farmers.
Mr. Doreswamy alleged that the corporate companies had funded the Narendra Modi’s campaign for Lok Sabha election. After assuming charge as Prime Minister, to express his gratitude to the corporate companies, Mr. Modi has ventured to pass the Bill, he alleged.
The liberal economic policies introduced in India in early 1990s was totally against the interests of small and marginal farmers. The large tracts of cultivable land has been acquired in the name of special economic zones posing a threat to food security. Large scale irregularities have also been reported in the process of land acquisition, he said.
Economist M. Chandra Poojary, social activists Shiva Kumar and R.K. Kumar were present.
