UP CM Mayawati on Thursday announced a new land policy after holding meeting with farmer representatives.
LUCKNOW: Facing widespread criticism over blatant acquisitions of agriculture land across the state at throwaway prices and handing it over to private builders at high rate, UP chief ministerMayawati on Thursday announced a new land acquisition policy after holding meeting with farmer representatives.
As per the new policy, the land acquisition will be done only after signing an agreement with the affected farmers. There will be three categories of land acquisition. First: The government will acquire the land for development projects such as construction of canals and roads. Second: The government will also acquire land for various government industrial development authorities and development authorities in different districts. Third: In case of commercial projects, private developers will buy land directly from farmers and government will only act as a facilitator. Besides cost of the land, affected farmers will also get 16% of the total land developed by the private developer. The private developer will also have to construct a school for the children of farmers, a krishi bhawan for farmers and give employment to a person of a family.
In all the three categories, the farmers will get benefit of 2010 land acquisition rehabilitation policy which gives option of one time settlement and an annuity for the period of 23 years. The landless labourers will also be entitled for some compensation.
The new scheme has been put into effect from Thursday itself. Mayawati slammed the Congress led UPA government for not amending the 1894 Land Acquisition Act. She said that BSP would raise the issue in the monsoon session of the Parliament. Mayawati also criticized the Opposition parties for politicizing the Bhatta-Parrsaul incident in which four people had died in police-farmer clash on May 7. She reiterated that there is no issue of compensation or land acquisition in Bhatta-Parsaul because the land was acquired in 2009 after signing an agreement with the farmers. The entire compensation was paid to the farmers in 2009 itself, she claimed.
Significantly, the government claimed that the new scheme has been announced after meeting with farmer representatives. However, farmer leaders claimed that chief minister made announcements, while their meeting with senior officials was still underway. Rakesh Tikait, Bhartiya Kisan Union, said that he has yet received the note on the agenda of the meeting. Satpal Chaudhary, farmer leader, said that the issue of Bhatta-Parsaul has not been included in the talks. He also pointed out that no one from Bhatta-Parsaul has been invited for the meeting. The officials, however, said that another round of meeting will be held in which the points raised by farmer representatives will also be included in the scheme.
Four people had died in Bhatta-Parsaul on May 7 during farmer-police clashes. Farmers were demanding a better deal for their land acquired by the government for Yamuna Expressway and associated projects. The complaint of the farmers was that they were paid only Rs 800 per sq mt but government sold the land to a private company at Rs 3200 per sq mt and the private company sold the land at Rs 10,000-15,000 per sq mt.
After Bhatta-Parsaul, farmers in other places also came out in open against land acquisition by the government. The Opposition political parties made it a big issue against Mayawati government. The state government received another blow from the High Court which within last 15 days scrapped four land acquisitions in Greater Noida and Noida.
These acquisitions were done by the government using emergency clause in which farmers were not given an opportunity of hearing. The acquisitions were done in the name of industrial development but later the land use was changed to residential and sold to private builders.
As per the new policy, the land acquisition will be done only after signing an agreement with the affected farmers. There will be three categories of land acquisition. First: The government will acquire the land for development projects such as construction of canals and roads. Second: The government will also acquire land for various government industrial development authorities and development authorities in different districts. Third: In case of commercial projects, private developers will buy land directly from farmers and government will only act as a facilitator. Besides cost of the land, affected farmers will also get 16% of the total land developed by the private developer. The private developer will also have to construct a school for the children of farmers, a krishi bhawan for farmers and give employment to a person of a family.
In all the three categories, the farmers will get benefit of 2010 land acquisition rehabilitation policy which gives option of one time settlement and an annuity for the period of 23 years. The landless labourers will also be entitled for some compensation.
The new scheme has been put into effect from Thursday itself. Mayawati slammed the Congress led UPA government for not amending the 1894 Land Acquisition Act. She said that BSP would raise the issue in the monsoon session of the Parliament. Mayawati also criticized the Opposition parties for politicizing the Bhatta-Parrsaul incident in which four people had died in police-farmer clash on May 7. She reiterated that there is no issue of compensation or land acquisition in Bhatta-Parsaul because the land was acquired in 2009 after signing an agreement with the farmers. The entire compensation was paid to the farmers in 2009 itself, she claimed.
Significantly, the government claimed that the new scheme has been announced after meeting with farmer representatives. However, farmer leaders claimed that chief minister made announcements, while their meeting with senior officials was still underway. Rakesh Tikait, Bhartiya Kisan Union, said that he has yet received the note on the agenda of the meeting. Satpal Chaudhary, farmer leader, said that the issue of Bhatta-Parsaul has not been included in the talks. He also pointed out that no one from Bhatta-Parsaul has been invited for the meeting. The officials, however, said that another round of meeting will be held in which the points raised by farmer representatives will also be included in the scheme.
Four people had died in Bhatta-Parsaul on May 7 during farmer-police clashes. Farmers were demanding a better deal for their land acquired by the government for Yamuna Expressway and associated projects. The complaint of the farmers was that they were paid only Rs 800 per sq mt but government sold the land to a private company at Rs 3200 per sq mt and the private company sold the land at Rs 10,000-15,000 per sq mt.
After Bhatta-Parsaul, farmers in other places also came out in open against land acquisition by the government. The Opposition political parties made it a big issue against Mayawati government. The state government received another blow from the High Court which within last 15 days scrapped four land acquisitions in Greater Noida and Noida.
These acquisitions were done by the government using emergency clause in which farmers were not given an opportunity of hearing. The acquisitions were done in the name of industrial development but later the land use was changed to residential and sold to private builders.
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