Karnataka Congress has strongly opposed the BJP government’s decision to introduce amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, saying it would spell doom for the marginal and small land-holders by reducing them to farm labourers.
Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah convened a meeting of senior leaders of the party and deliberated the consequences of the State government’s decision to repeal sections 63A, 79A, B and C, and 80 in the existing legislation would have on the farming community. The proposed changes will enable any non-agriculturalist to buy farmland and removes the existing ceiling limits on ownership.
At the meeting, attended by senior leaders, including former Union Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge, outgoing KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, K.R. Ramesh Kumar and others, it was decided that changes to the Act would be opposed. However, party leaders have decided to chalk out a future course of action and protests after holding consultations with leaders of the farming community, sources in the party said.
The Congress had earlier opposed the B.S. Yediyurappa-led government amending the Act to allow acquisition and conversion of agricultural lands for industrial purposes within a 30-day time frame.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Congress would protest against the amendment to the Land Reforms Act both inside and outside the Assembly. “We will take this issue to the grassroots level and our party workers will explain this to all farmers. We will expose all the anti-farmer policies of @BJP4India,” he tweeted.
The former Chief Minister said the government was betraying farmers by repealing section 79A, which prescribes income limit to purchase farmland, 79B which prohibits non-farmers from purchasing agricultural land, 79C which imposes fine if fake affidavit is filed, and section 80 which prohibits transfer of agricultural lands to non-farmers.
“Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs had made provisions that those who till should own the land, but now the BJP government wants only the ‘haves to own the land’,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
The Congress leaders argued that the amendment would pave the way for the land mafia and realtors to buy lands from small and marginal farmers to develop them into land banks and property business.
Farmers who sell lands will become farm workers and migrant labourers in urban areas, they said.
The earlier Congress government, led by Mr. Siddaramaiah, had amended the Act in 2015 and increased the income limit from non-agricultural sources to purchase farmland from ₹2 lakh to ₹25 lakh. The income limit was fixed to prevent misuse of agricultural land.
The BJP, then in the Opposition, had opposed the Bill saying it would defeat the very purpose of the Land Reforms Act.
