By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Welfare Party of India’s West Bengal unit has opposed the Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill 2015 brought in the Lok Sabha by the BJP-led government to replace the Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, 2013 that was passed by the UPA government then.
“The Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill 2015 is totally anti-farmers. Ruling BJP government’s policy on the land acquisition is against the poor and favours the Corporate,” Dr Raisuddin, state president of WPI Dr Raisuddin told a press conference here on Monday, March 2.
WPI state President Dr Raisuddin and others in a Press conference at Kolkata Press Club on 2nd March, 2015 against the ordinance of Land Acquisition in Parliament.
Pointing out that West Bengal has more than 60 % people dependent on agricultural land and cultivation, Raisuddin said, “So, to maintain the life and sustenance, land is very important to these farmers. So, everyone should protest the Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill 2015 of the BJP government.”
He criticized the Union government policy and said: “Within six months, BJP-led government presented three ordinance, which are undemocratic. The Land ordinance may give advantage to Corporate houses, land mafia and multinational companies that intend to grab lands of the farmers.”
Government claims it will give compensation to the land looser, but that is not comparable for the poor farmer, who has very small land holding for cultivation, which is the only earning for his family, he said, adding, “The Land bill is very much injurious to not only the farmers but also those associated with fishing, labourers, hand-crafts etc.”
Raisuddin warned the (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi government: “In Nandigram, previous Left Front government followed anti-farmer policy and had to pay for it. People threw them out after being in power in the state for 35 years. Now, the BJP government in the Centre got only 30 % vote. Rest 70 % people may change the BJP government if government continues with the anti-people policy.”
Raisuddin called the people to come forward to protest any kind of undemocratic land acquisition bill of the union government.
WP state vice presidents Mansa Sen, Shahjadi Parvin and many other key officials were present.