Mangaluru: The Modi government’s ordinance to amend the Land Acquisition Act dilutes the clauses notified during the tenure of UPA II, to safeguard the interests of farmers while acquiring the land. The amendments in the ordinance promulgated in the month of January favor giant industrialists of the country and outside.
Taking a sharp jibe at the Modi lead BJP government at the center, Jitendra Chowdhury, M P from Tripura said that the government was insensitive towards farmers thus neglecting larger interests of this primary economic sector. In the wake of the dwindling of this primary sector, the government decision would deepen the problems of the agriculture sector. He slammed the Union Government for being partial to capitalists.
He was addressing a program organized by the Karnataka Pranta Raita Sangha at NGO hall on Wednesday. The program was convened to mark disenchantment towards Land Acquisition Ordinance and implementation of the Kasthuri Rangan report by the union government.
He said, “as many as 70% of the people in the country are still dependent on the agriculture sector and specific amendments proposed in the ordinance aggravate the agrarian crisis prevailing in the country”. He added, “The All India Kisan Samiti would take up this issue with seriousness and fight against the government. He demanded that the government withdraw the ordinance”.
New amendments
The MP of Tripura, who was in full swing in slamming the central government noted a few specific clauses to which amendments were proposed. The clauses were added while the amendments to the century old Land Acquisition Act 1894 was passed. “There must be 80% consensus among inhabitants of the land for the government to give it to private or public private partnership venture according to 2013 amendments”. The new proposal, according to Jitendra does not require any such consensus for the government to acquire the land.
The 2013 amendment compels the government to set up an expert committee to conduct social impact and assessment study of the place earmarked for acquisition. He said that the current government was in no mood to follow this as it would hinder the interests of capitalists. He alleged that the government was working hand in glove with Ambani, Adani , Tata and Birla.
Left opposes Kasturirangan report
“Implementation of the Kastuirangan report derails the lives and economy of tribals, and obliterates rich tribal culture. He said the left parties were not opposing environment policies that would protect ecology and wildlife. However the reports prepared by the expert committee on environment headed by Kasturirangan had failed to consult the forest dwellers living in 4000 villages marked in the report as eco-sensitive areas.
The left parties would showcase strong opposition in both the houses of parliament in this connection, He reiterated that implementation would damage the current economic structure of the tribes who also stakeholders in the Gross Domestic Product of the country. He accused that new environment policy of the government under the Environment Management Act listed a few industries for environment sanction for mining. He pointed out the government’s doublespeak in handling environment issues.
