By IANS,
New Delhi : The government Tuesday said a ministerial panel will come up soon to suggest changes in the land acquisition policy so that farmers’ interests “are not jeopardised”.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha that the proposed group of ministers to be headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar would also suggest amendments to the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
“This will be done so that farmers’ interests are not jeopardised,” said Mukherjee, who is also the leader of the house.
He was responding to a 55-minute debate on farmer protests against the Uttar Pradesh government’s land acquisition drive in the western part of the state that left three people dead.
Mukherjee said the central government was in touch with the state’s Mayawati administration.
“We have to ascertain the facts (on the Aug 14 firing incident) from the state government,” he said.
Members from various political parties condemned the police action against farmers in Aligarh and alleged that the state government was coercing the farmers to part with their land for private business ventures.